Never Look Back
by rowanashke
Summary: AU. Iruka and Kakashi attend a private college. Iruka's in a bad relationship, and Kakashi tries to help him. Neither of them know just how bad things are going to get. RAPE, Yaoi Not seriously graphic. KakaIru, MizuIru, GenRai, OroKabu.
1. Chapter 1

Finally a new Naruto Story

Finally a new Naruto Story. This is really AU; no one acts like themselves, lol. Beta'd by the amazingly lovely Nai, who also owns the OOC Genko Akenai, both of whom I adore. Yes, I'm still working on all the other stuff, and I think I've got my muse working a little. I hope. Nai liked it; I hope you all will too. n.n

WARNING: This story contains rape, man-on-man sex, violence, some swearing, and general unpleasantness. This first part is the most graphic; the rest of the story is a little more restrained.

…………………………………….

"Did you hear? Mizuki's got a hot one…"

Kakashi glanced sideways at his team mates, his expression, as always, hidden behind his scarf. He didn't talk much; there wasn't much for him to say to the people he played with. He played games with them, trained with them, fucked them and let them fuck him, but he didn't talk to them.

"He says this one'll let you do anything to him." His teammate grinned ferally. "Says he's a hot piece of ass."

"Shit." One of his other team mates said, sighing. "Wish I could find me a puppy."

They all laughed-except for Kakashi, who stood silently.

"Well, you're in luck." The team mate who'd spoken first leaned in conspiratorially. "Mizuki says he'll share. He's invited me over tonight, and he told me to bring some friends."

Kakashi wasn't sure how it happened, but he found himself being dragged along with the rest of his team. He didn't want to go; he wasn't interested in Mizuki's 'hot piece of ass'. They ended up in one of the less reputable parts of town, at a cat house that specialized in male prostitutes. Kakashi hadn't ever been there; when he wanted sex, he usually got what he needed with his team mates. The old woman silently ushered them into the back, looking a little sour-as well she might, Kakashi thought. This Mizuki had probably rented the room, but he probably wasn't renting any flesh for the night.

Mizuki turned out to be a silver-haired, sharp featured boy around eighteen. His 'puppy' was a tanned boy around sixteen with a horizontal scar across his face. The scar looked cute; Kakashi, who wasn't usually into scars, thought it made the boy's face look finished, somehow. The boy sat silently, naked except for a leather collar and a pair of leather wrist cuffs, on his knees, his head bent.

Mizuki grinned when he saw them come in and greeted one of Kakashi's team mates by name; his eyes skipped over the group, and Kakashi stepped back, _faded_ into the background-something he was good at-and Mizuki didn't even notice he was there.

Mizuki fisted his hand in Iruka's hair and pulled his head up, ignoring the wince of pain on the younger man's face. "Say hello to my friends, Iruka." Mizuki purred. Iruka, still caught in Mizuki's grip, mumbled something and Mizuki growled, clearly unhappy. "Be more polite, Iruka." He said, yanking the boy's head back further.

Iruka mumbled something else, and Mizuki seemed satisfied. "Well…who wants to be first?" he asked, a smirk on his face.

One of Kakashi's team mates stepped forward eagerly. Mizuki released his hold on Iruka, who crawled forward and undid the man's pants, his fingers pulling his half-hard cock from his pants. Iruka took the man into his mouth, sucking and licking, and the man made a groan of pleasure. "God…Mizuki, his mouth is so talented."

"I know." Mizuki said, laughing. "He's fucking good at blow jobs."

Iruka sped up. Mizuki walked over and pushed the man to his knees, then shifted Iruka's body to pull his ass into the air. "Come on, boys. Don't be shy."

One of the other men stepped forward and Mizuki handed him a tube of lube. Grinning in excitement, the man slicked his finger and slid it into Iruka, making Iruka gasp around the cock in his mouth. The man pumped his finger into Iruka's ass, then slid in a second, twisting them. Iruka started to make soft sounds of pleasure, sucking harder at the man's cock.

"Don't be so careful. You're not going to break him." Mizuki said, sounding peeved. Throwing Mizuki a glance, the man shrugged and undid his pants, stroking his cock until it was hard. He coated it with lube, and then pressed himself into Iruka. Iruka moaned around the cock, tears springing into his eyes, but he kept sucking. The man smiled and started to buck, sliding in and out of Iruka's ass with muffled moans of pleasure.

Mizuki had palmed his cock out and was stroking it, watching the men fuck Iruka's mouth and ass. Kakashi, watching, had to admit it was hot; Iruka was a beautiful boy, and he was taking the cock all the way into his mouth. The man grabbed Iruka's head and started rocking into his mouth, fucking him hard, and the man in his ass sped up, slamming into Iruka with enough force to shove him forward to meet the first man. By now, everyone in the room except Kakashi was stroking himself. Suddenly the man fucking Iruka cried out, slamming into him one last time, and Iruka moaned, nearly choking as the man in his mouth came hard. Cum dripped out of the corners of Iruka's mouth and he licked his swollen lips, coughing.

The two were quickly replaced. The scene repeated itself, Iruka growing more and more dazed as he was repeatedly taken, sometimes hard, sometimes gentle. Mizuki took his turn, slapping Iruka's ass as he fucked him hard, his pleasured groans almost growls. Kakashi just leaned on the wall, ignored and forgotten, his unease growing. Iruka was about to pass out, but the men kept going, and it was coming to resemble rape more than a willing gang bang. The man in the back fisted his hand in Iruka's hair to keep his face up so the man in the front could fuck his mouth, ignoring the tears that streamed down Iruka's face, and the coughing gags he was making as cum once again slammed into his throat.

Finally, they were done. Laughing, the men kissed Mizuki and Iruka, who had collapsed onto the floor, his body trembling and cum dripping out of his mouth and ass. Mizuki walked out with the group, saying something about paying for the room.

Kakashi walked over to Iruka and knelt down. Iruka whimpered softly, clearly thinking Kakashi meant to take his turn. Tears were streaming down his face, but Iruka was too exhausted to really cry.

"Why do you let him do this?" Kakashi asked the prostate form. He was angry; angry at Mizuki, for forcing Iruka to do this, angry at his team mates for participating, angry at Iruka for allowing it happen-and angry at himself, for not stopping it. He reached down and lifted the man from the floor, holding him in his arms, and left, taking the window and the backstreets. It was hard with Iruka in his arms like a dead weight, but he wasn't a star athlete for nothing. He reached his house and let himself inside, kicking his sandals off, then carried Iruka to the bathroom. Iruka was in a semi-conscious daze, clinging to Kakashi and clearly unaware of what was going on. Sighing, Kakashi lowered him to the ground and propped him against the wall, holding him up with one arm while he stripped himself. Then he manhandled Iruka into the shower, cleaned him carefully, dried him, and pulled him into bed. Tucking the sheets around them both, he wrapped his arms around Iruka and fell asleep.

…

Iruka woke slowly, aware that he was warm and safe and being held. It took a moment for his brain to engage; when the memories of the past night kicked in, he whimpered and sat up, catching the glint of silver in the moonlight. Turning, he started to slide out of bed, but was stopped by a pale hand on his arm.

He turned, intending to yell at Mizuki, but was stopped immediately. This was…not Mizuki…

"Lay back down." Kakashi said sleepily, peering at him blurrily. "It's not morning yet."

"How…" Iruka gasped. He had no idea how he'd ended up in Hatake Kakashi's bedroom. Naked. He tried to pull his arm away, but Kakashi tightened his grip and tugged him back.

"I took you away and cleaned you up and brought you here." Kakashi said, yawning. "You're safe here; you should sleep."

Iruka stared at the man, his eyes wide. Finally, he licked his chapped lips and whispered, "Why?"

Kakashi sighed and tugged again, and Iruka let him pull him back down. Kakashi firmly arranged him, stretching him out and pulling him against Kakashi's chest. "Because you shouldn't be used like that. No one should be used like that. I couldn't stop it, but I couldn't leave you there, either." He said, sounding tired. "So I stole you."

Iruka lay stiffly, his head whirling. Finally Kakashi sighed and wrapped his arms around his body. "Go to sleep, please?" he said, stroking Iruka's back gently. "We can talk about it in the morning."

Iruka closed his eyes, willing himself to relax. That sounded like a good idea…he was hurt, tired, miserable and confused. Morning sounded better than right now…

…

Iruka woke again, blinking at the ceiling. The sun had just risen. This wasn't his room, which wasn't unusual, but it wasn't Mizuki's either…

He turned his head and gaped at the sight of Hatake Kakashi, his face bare, sound asleep next to him. Iruka stared at the beautiful face for a long time, and then silently sat up, untangling himself from Kakashi slowly. The older boy didn't stir. Rubbing his face, Iruka sat on the edge of the bed, staring out the window at the morning sky. Finally, he rose, borrowed some pants and a shirt from Kakashi, and walked towards the door. Before he left, he hesitated; it felt wrong to just leave, but…

He turned back and grabbed a random scrap of paper. Scanning it, he saw it was a grocery list. Flipping it over, he grabbed a pen and wrote a short note to Kakashi, then placed it on the counter. Satisfied, he turned and slipped out of the house, shutting the door firmly behind him.

…

Kakashi woke slowly, turning in his bed. After a moment, he sighed and opened his eyes. The tanned boy was gone; the spot where he'd lain was cold. Sitting up, Kakashi glanced around the room, then slid out of bed and stumbled to the bathroom. Coming out, he headed to the kitchen and put on the teakettle, then noticed the piece of paper propped up on the counter.

_Kakashi,_

_I'm truly grateful for what you did last night. I'm sorry to leave, but…I have to think about some things, and figure some stuff out. I'm…confused, and hurt, and…I don't know what to do anymore. Mizuki loves me. He says he loves me. That was the first time he's ever done anything like that to me, and….I don't know what to do. I promise Ill come talk to you soon. Please don't be angry at me…_

_Iruka_

_PS I borrowed some clothes. I'll bring them back washed and folded. _

Kakashi stared at the note for a while, then balled it up, tossed it in the garbage, and went to make his tea.


	2. Chapter 2

Iruka sighed and slung his book bag over his other shoulder, trying to even out the strain

Iruka sighed and slung his book bag over his other shoulder, trying to even out the strain. His classes had been rough today; they were getting towards finals, and all of the professors were determined to make sure no one failed _their_ class. Iruka had four advanced-level classes and another two normal ones; his workload had increased almost fourfold per class.

He sighed. The headache that had been lingering since _that_ night abruptly spiked into full-blown pain. Iruka sighed and closed his eyes, leaning on the wall and trying to force the pain back to its previous level.

He hadn't spoken to Mizuki in three days. He'd been avoiding him; Iruka was still thinking about what had happened, and what Kakashi had said, and Mizuki. He couldn't make up his mind. On one hand-what Mizuki had made him do, what he'd allowed to happen, was horrible. Iruka was ashamed whenever he thought of it; ashamed and degraded and he just felt…dirty. Used. On the other…on the other hand, Mizuki loved him. He'd said it, he'd proven it. Mizuki was the only thing Iruka had in the entire world, and the thought of loosing him twisted Iruka's heart and made it hard to breathe. Mizuki had been there for over eight years, supporting him, making him laugh, loving him…

He didn't understand what was happening with Mizuki. He didn't understand the rage, the black moods, the higher and higher level of controlling behavior Mizuki was showing. He'd started hurting Iruka, making him bleed, and it seemed to make Mizuki more excited. More than once, he'd fucked Iruka so hard that he'd had trouble walking the next day, sometimes taking him without prep or lube, and Iruka knew, deep down in his heart, that it was becoming more rape than anything else, because Iruka cringed whenever Mizuki touched him now. It hurt so bad, tore Iruka up inside…

I have to leave him, Iruka thought, misery making his shoulders tighten and his headache spiked abruptly. I can't…I can't let him do that to me anymore. That night, those men…that was rape and Mizuki not only let it happen, but he encouraged it and participated in it. Willing rape, at first, but rape never the less. If he loved me…if he really loved me, he'd never have done that to me…

"Iruka?" Iruka jerked; he'd been so deep in thought he hadn't noticed the other until it was too late. Mizuki, his black eyes mournful, was blocking his path. Iruka took a step back, his breath hitching, and Mizuki stepped towards him, holding his hand out. "Iruka, I was so worried about you…" Mizuki said, his voice thick with concern. "Where did you go? What happened?"

"If you were so worried, why didn't you come and check on me?" Iruka asked, surprised at the anger that rose in him. "I was home, recuperating. It took me two days to be able to walk without pain…"

"I'm sorry. I know it was a little rough, but you were so good…my friends really enjoyed themselves." Mizuki said, smiling. Iruka stared at him; Mizuki seemed completely obvious to the anger in Iruka's body, or the disgust on his face. "Next time, I'll make sure everyone's a little more considerate…"

"There won't be a _next time_." Iruka spat. Mizuki froze, staring at him like he'd grown another head and Iruka snapped. "I'm leaving you. I never want to see you again, Mizuki. I'm done. I'm tired of being slapped, raped and cut, of hurting and crying and being…used. I'm done."

"You're…you can't…" Mizuki said, his eyes wide with astonishment. "Iruka, you can't leave me…"

"I'm doing it right now." Iruka said, trying to push past the other man. "Goodbye, Mizuki…"

Iruka managed to get past Mizuki, but he was suddenly slammed forward, his face hitting the wall hard enough to leave him dazed. He felt Mizuki spin him around and slam him into the wall; Mizuki had always been strong, but where was this…insane…strength coming from, Iruka thought dazedly. What was this…

"You can't leave me." Mizuki repeated, his voice ugly and low. "No one leaves me, Iruka. You belong to me, and you better learn your place." He slammed Iruka into the wall gain. Iruka grabbed his hands, trying to free himself, but Mizuki's grip was too strong. Mizuki let go of his shoulders and wrapped his fingers around Iruka's throat, tightening his grip. Iruka felt the air being choked from him and frantically scrabbled at his fingers, his eyes bulging in his head. He kicked, but Mizuki ignored his blows like they were nothing and slammed Iruka back again, his hands tightening again.

"You can't leave me." Mizuki said again, his face contorted with rage. "You can't leave me…" Iruka felt his vision starting to fade and gasped breathlessly, his body jerking. He slid into the darkness, tears streaming down his face.

…

When he woke, he was laying in Mizuki's room at his house, staring at the ceiling. He couldn't breathe, and it felt like his body was made of lead. Licking his lips, he turned his head, wincing at the effort, and stiffened to find Mizuki sitting on the bed, stroking his hair.

"Ruka." Mizuki crooned, his voice gentle. "You finally woke up. Scared me a bit there. I was afraid you'd done permanent harm."

Iruka cringed, trying to roll away, but Mizuki kept him firmly pushed down. "Poor Iruka. I'm sorry. But you should know better than to say things that upset me so badly. I lost my temper, didn't I? But no harm done. You're fine." He smiled and patted Iruka's head, then stretched out over him, placing gentle kisses on the corners of Iruka's lips. Iruka tried to push him away, but his body wasn't obeying him very well, and all he could manage to do was push feebly at Mizuki's body. Mizuki laughed and kissed him again, then Iruka felt fingers pushing into him.

"N..no…" he gasped, shaking his head. "No…please, Mizuki…" he croaked. Mizuki's face was marred by a fleeting frown, but he smoothed it out and smiled again. Iruka felt Mizuki's fingers sliding in and out of his body and he whimpered, tears slipping down his face again. He wanted to fight, he wanted to push Mizuki off and run away, but he could only lay there and let Mizuki molest him. Shortly, Mizuki removed his fingers and pulled Iruka down the bed, thrusting his cock into Iruka's ass. He didn't use lube; Iruka cried out weakly, his back arching in pain. Mizuki laughed softly and began to thrust, moaning in pleasure. Iruka could only writhe, tears of rage, shame and agony pouring down his face. Finally, Mizuki finished off, the hot cum stinging Iruka's ass. Pulling out, Mizuki bent and kissed the tears from his face, then patted his cheek.

"Don't worry, Iruka. I'll take care of you." Mizuki burbled. "We're a team. Oh…you need to rest. I've got a couple of friends coming over tonight; I expect you to be…good…to them, ok?"

Iruka sobbed and Mizuki sighed, shaking his head. "Sleep, Iruka. Everything'll be better once you've had some sleep." He pulled the blankets over Iruka's body and left the room, humming to himself. Iruka closed his eyes, letting himself fall into the darkness.

…

Iruka woke to voices; he identified Mizuki, after a moment, and at least two other people. Mizuki's got company over, he thought fuzzily.

Suddenly he sat up, gasping. The movement made him dizzy; his hands flew to his throat, touching the bruised and puffy flesh with a wince. Mizuki's got company…

_I've got a couple o f friends coming over tonight; I expect you to be good to them, ok?_

Iruka almost fell out of bed, his body trembling. He couldn't. He couldn't stay there. He couldn't let it happen again. Nearly blind, he grabbed the first pieces of clothing that his hands touched and pulled them on. Ignoring that he was barefoot, he painfully raised himself out of the window and almost fell; the tree was slippery, and he was dizzier than he'd thought. Grimly, he let himself down to the street and staggered away from Mizuki's house. He kept going, his vision fading in and out. He finally managed to get to Kakashi's house. Approaching the door, he knocked, his body trembling. He'd helped him once; would Kakashi help him again?

There was no answer. Feeling close to panicking, he knocked again.

"He's not here, dearie." A quavering voice spoke behind him. Iruka nearly died; his heart was hammering in his chest. He turned to find an ancient old woman standing behind him, clutching a basket. "He left yesterday; he always leaves me a sign when he leaves, so I know to water his plant for him. Are you a friend of his?"

Iruka fought to think of a way to answer that. He wasn't, really, but finally, he croaked "Yes…"

The old woman smiled. She was obviously near-sighted; she didn't seem to notice that Iruka was barefoot, or the bruises on his neck. "Oh, good. He never has friends come over. I was starting to think he didn't have any. But you'll have to come back-there's no telling when he'll be back. When the team's not in season or training, he disappears for days, sometimes a week at a time."

Iruka licked his lips, feeling his heart plummeting to his feet. He couldn't go back, and he was afraid to try to hide anyplace else. "O…ok." he said finally. "Th..thank you."

The old lady smiled and pushed past Iruka. Iruka watched her numbly, his body shaking, then turned and walked around the corner. Once he was out of sight, he collapsed, sobbing, He cried until he was sick; he felt hollow and empty.

A sound made him look up and shrink into the wall. It was just the old lady, leaving Kakashi's house. Iruka watched her dully, then stood up. He had to hide, and Kakashi wasn't home, but…

He tried the front door and was distantly surprised to find it open. Pushing it open, he stumbled inside, then walked to the bedroom. The bed looked invitingly cool and peaceful. Closing his eyes, Iruka fell into it, hugging a pillow to his chest and crying himself to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Kakashi wiped his nose and let himself into his house, feeling a little tired

Kakashi wiped his nose and let himself into his house, feeling a little tired. He'd been drinking again, but he never got drunk in public. He was too private for that, and drunks tended to spew their private problems and lives for public viewing.

Kakashi his door open and slipped inside. Kicking off his tennis shoes, he walked into the kitchen and grabbed a glass of water, downing it in one long swallow. Then he walked into his bedroom, sighing. Iruka lay on his side on Kakashi's bed, curled into a fetal position around one of Kakashi's pillows. In the weak moonlight, Kakashi couldn't see anything, but he could clearly smell the blood. He'd smelled it when he first came inside. Silently cursing, Kakashi drifted across the room and sat on the bed, very carefully, then brushed his fingers across Iruka's cheeks.

Iruka came awake with a start, clutching the pillow and jerking away from his touch. "Iruka, it's me." Kakashi said quietly. "Kakashi."

"'Kashi?" Iruka whispered hoarsely. Frowning, Kakashi reached out and flipped the bedside table, then nearly gasped.

The bruises on Iruka's neck were clear and easy to understand; Iruka flushed with shame, turning his head away and hunching his shoulders. Kakashi silently reached out and tilted his chin up, his body tense. "Did you black out?" he asked finally.

Iruka nodded. "Yeah." He croaked softly. "And…I'm really dizzy…I think my head hit the wall a few times." He whispered. Kakashi sighed and rose, unwinding his scarf and tossing it over a chair, then leaned down and helped the younger man stand. Iruka leaned on him, blinking owlishly, and Kakashi led him to the bathroom. After a shower, he sat Iruka down and patiently explored his skull with tender fingers, finding no cracks or bleeding, but a few very large, nasty bumps. Kakashi decided that Iruka probably didn't need to go to the hospital, but he made him drink some tea before curling up with him in the bed, stroking his back while Iruka rested his forehead on his chest.

After a long time, Kakashi thought Iruka was asleep, so he was surprised when Iruka shifted, rolling a little so he could look into Kakashi's face.

"Why are you doing this?" Iruka asked softly. "Why are you taking care of me? What…what do you want from me?"

Kakashi tried not to let the hurt show on his face; he must have slipped, because he saw Iruka's eyes darken a bit. "I don't want anything." Kakashi said quietly. "I'm helping you because you need it. Because if our situations were reversed, you'd do it for me."

"You'd never be in this situation." Iruka said, his voice bitter. "You're not that stupid…"

"It's not stupidity." Kakashi said slowly. "Iruka…I know. I know how…empty you must have felt, how alone. After my father killed himself…" Kakashi hesitated, then sighed. "After my father killed himself, I lost it. I died inside. And I was saved by a man named Minato. He was my teacher-and my friend …if Minato had been less of a good man, and more like your Mizuki, it could have well been exactly the same. I would have let Minato do anything he wanted to me, as long as he didn't leave me. He could have broken every bone in my body and I still would have loved him. I was too young for it to be physical love, and he was too decent of a man to want me like that, but if he had…" Kakashi sighed. "I know how it feels. You just picked the wrong person to cling too."

Iruka blinked at him slowly, clearly thinking deeply about what Kakashi had said. Finally he sighed, his body loosening as the tension that had been present since he'd woken up bleeding away.

"Thank you." Iruka said softly, closing his eyes. "Kakashi-san…"

"Shh." Kakashi said, kissing him gently. "Just sleep."

Kakashi held him until he was really asleep again, then slid out of bed. He wanted to have a little talk with Mizuki…

…

"Don't."

The voice surprised Kakashi; he jerked around, and saw a big, heavy shaped body standing in the doorway. He'd gone to Iruka's house, but Mizuki wasn't there. He had no idea where Mizuki lived, and he had been sitting in Iruka's living room on the off chance that Mizuki came by, pondering.

He narrowed his eyes, unable to distinguish the bulky shape with the light behind him. "Who are you?" He growled.

The shape moved, and it slowly became Morino Ibiki. Kakashi narrowed his eyes further, his hackles rising. He didn't like Ibiki; the feeling was mutual, he assumed. Ibiki was the head of the police force; he and Kakashi had tangled a few times over Kakashi's tendency to beat the crap out of anyone who bothered him. Ibiki had never arrested him, but there'd been some harsh words exchanged. Ibiki seemed to feel that just because he'd been Minato's friend, he had to keep an out for Kakashi. He glared at Ibiki; Ibiki gave him a flat stare and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Don't what?" Kakashi asked, standing. He felt at a disadvantage; he cold probably take Ibiki with one hand tied behind his back, but there was something about the man's sheer _presence _that kept him from even considering it.

"Don't go after Tojiro Mizuki." Ibiki said flatly.

"Why?" Kakashi asked, frustration and suspicion clear in his voice.

"Because we're already investigating him, and I don't want you stepping in our way." Ibiki said flatly. "There's a lot about Mizuki we don't like, and some things that are downright suspicious. We think there's more going on than we can see, and we want to know what he's up to, and if you beat the crap out of him, it'll mess up our investigation."

"Fuck your investigation." Kakashi said coldly. "He deserves…"

"Why do you want to hurt him so badly?" Ibiki asked, uncrossing his arms. Kakashi stopped, surprised-there was honest confusion in the other man's voice. He doesn't know about Iruka, Kakashi realized.

Quickly, Kakashi filled Ibiki in on the situation. Ibiki sighed, giving him a keen, searching glance, but shook his head. "Not good enough. Iruka will live; he won't even have a scar, from what you tell me. So hands off Mizuki."

"No." Kakashi spat, anger overriding his good sense. "I want to see him bleeding…"

"You probably will." Ibiki said, his voice steely. "But we want to know what he's up to. If you touch him, I swear Hatake, you'll regret it."

Kakashi stared at him. Then he launched himself at Ibiki; he wasn't thinking anymore. Blind rage had filled him and, for the first time since his father had died, his control utterly snapped. Ibiki went down under him, fending off his wild blows but making no effort to stop him. Kakashi slammed his fists into Ibiki's raised arms a couple of times, then suddenly stopped, going utterly still.

They sat like that for a time. Then Kakashi sighed; it was a broken, pained noise. Ibiki lowered his arms, looking up at Kakashi, and Kakashi was surprised to see compassion in Ibiki's normally cool black eyes.

Ibiki sat up a little and wrapped his arms around Kakashi and Kakashi leaned against him, drawing in several deep, shuddering breaths. "I know." Ibiki said softly. "And I promise, someday he'll pay for this. We won't forget, and we won't forgive, but we must defer. It's too important to know exactly what he's up to. We suspect some pretty bad things; rape and torture barely register on the list. We have to know, Kakashi. And Iruka would tell you the same thing, if he was aware of the situation. It has to wait."

Kakashi nodded against Ibiki's chest. He knew. His brain understood, even if his heart refused to listen. Ibiki pulled away and sighed. "Sometimes I forget how very young you really are, Kakashi." Ibiki said softly. "You've always been so self-reliant, never needed any help. But Minato asked me to, so I've been watching you for so many years…I forget how very young you are." Kakashi looked at him, surprised all over again, and Ibiki laughed. It wasn't a happy laugh, but it was a laugh. "What? You thought I hated you?"

He sounded…wistful. Kakashi stared at him and suddenly realized just how much of Ibiki's cold, distant exterior was a mask to protect not only himself but those he cared about. Throwing his arms around Ibiki, Kakashi hugged him tightly; trying to tell him everything he was feeling without having the words to say it. He felt Ibiki's arms around him and they sat together, silently, until the sun broke over the horizon.

…

Iruka woke. He blinked his eyes a few times, then sighed and stretched. God, he was sore. Rolling over, he sat up, and then recoiled.

Kakashi was sitting on the end of the bed, his legs crossed and his chin propped up in his hand, obviously watching Iruka sleeping. Iruka sat up further and backed away until his back hit the headboard. He gathered the sheets up and pulled them to his chest, feeling oddly defensive and exposed.

"You're not going back there." Kakashi said flatly. "You're not going to see him again, and if he touches you, I will _personally_ make him regret it. You're staying with me until he gets the point, and I want the entire damn city aware that we're a couple. That alone should make him back off; even he's probably not crazy enough to tangle with the 'star athlete and bar fighter of Konoha' over a boyfriend." Kakashi said, ignoring Iruka's confused, gaping expression. "After that….well, after that, we'll see how things are. You're sleeping with me, but…"

He paused, then suddenly he was in Iruka's face, his lips almost brushing Iruka's. Iruka felt a blush rise on his cheeks and he pressed himself backwards, too confused and uncertain to even begin to feel aroused.

"I want to make a few things clear." Kakashi said, staring into his eyes. "I want you. I want you bad-I think you're absolutely hot, and the very thought of having sex with you is enough to make me hard. However, you are not my property, nor are you my toy, and you're under absolutely NO obligation to have sex with me. If you want, this will be a purely platonic relationship, although there will have to be some public holding of hands or kissing to seal the appearance. I want to get to know you; I want to be your friend, whether or not we become lovers in fact." Kakashi continued, blinking seriously. "This isn't a decision to make now; you have all the time in the world, and even if you think you want it, and then you change your mind, it won't change how I feel or me helping you. Do you understand?"

Iruka licked his lips, dazed, and nodded. It was almost too much to take in; Kakashi seemed to sense this and took pity on him, returning to his original position on the end of the bed. "Good. Now. I have the next week off; I know you have classes, but you're going to skip them. We'll get your homework. It's clear that you got beaten up; no one will question you needing to stay home for a while. Today we're going to stay in, and let you rest and recover. Then tomorrow, we're going to go out and make our first public appearance as a couple. Maybe the day after that, we can go pack your things and move you in here. As you can tell, I don't have much; you're welcome to spread out and make yourself at home. We need to make sure it looks like we're firmly coupled, and you redecorating my house would make a good impression in that direction. And now…I'm going to make breakfast. Any requests?"

Iruka continued to stare at him. Finally, under Kakashi's mildly questioning gaze, he shook his head, then managed, "N..no. Thanks. Whatever you make is.. .fine."

"Ok." Kakashi's whole mood changed; he slid from sober and serious to almost bouncy, and he rolled off the bed. "You should take a shower; when you come out, breakfast will be ready. Do you like tea or coffee?"

"Coffee, please." Iruka said. He felt…bizarrely comforted. It was clear that Kakashi was dead set on protecting him. Iruka supposed that, if he wasn't so confused and disoriented, he'd maybe feel a little angry at Kakashi's high-handed handling, but…

..but I need his help, Iruka thought soberly. Obviously, I can't handle this on my own. He raised his hand to his throat and touched the bruises, then sighed. I'm so pathetic…

He slid out of the bed and took a shower, only crying a little in the hot water. Drying off, he found a pair of pants laid out on the toilet and flushed; when had Kakashi been in there? Slipping them on, he grabbed a towel and started drying off his hair, padding out to the kitchen. The coffee smelled delicious, and Iruka found himself smiling as he slid into a chair. Kakashi looked up from the stove and smiled back, making Iruka blush.

Kakashi slid a full cup of coffee in front of him, followed shortly by a plate of food. Grabbing a similar plate, Kakashi sat down and started eating, and Iruka picked at his, not really hungry but wanting to eat because Kakashi had made it for him. He forced some eggs and bacon down, then sipped the coffee, wishing his throat didn't hurt so much.

"You ok?" Kakashi asked suddenly. Iruka turned and gave him a thoughtful look, then shrugged with one shoulder.

"Yeah." Iruka said slowly. "I think I'm ok now."


	4. Chapter 4

They spent the day together, talking

They spent the day together, talking. Iruka was both rather taken aback and oddly charmed by Kakashi's focused, intensive grilling. When he said he wanted to get to know me, he wasn't kidding, Iruka thought. But Kakashi was willing to answer questions too; he answered everything that Iruka asked with open, painful honesty, never shying away or hesitating. By the end of the day, Iruka felt he knew him better than anyone in the city. And what he learned surprised him-underneath his cavalier, laid-back front, Kakashi was a complicated, deep man.

They were sprawled on the couch, Kakashi on his back and leaning against the armrest, Iruka on his stomach, resting his head on Kakashi's chest. Kakashi had just finished telling him about his teacher Minato and was gently running his hand through Iruka's hair. They sat in silence for a time. Iruka sighed, then said, very softly, "Kakashi?"

"Mmm?" Kakashi asked, smiling.

"If I said…if I told you I'd decided not to have sex with you, would you still…do this?" he asked slowly.

Kakashi hesitated. "By 'this', do you mean help you? Or…" he asked, sounding a little confused.

"No." Iruka said, turning his face up so he could look at Kakashi. "This. Hold me…"

"Oh." Kakashi laughed and stroked his hair. After a moment, he sighed. "Yes. I'd still do this, if you wanted it, but I couldn't promise that occasionally I'd not forget and do something a little perverted. You're too sexy…" Kakashi teased. Iruka laughed and shook his head, then laid his head on Kakashi's chest again.

"So…" Kakashi said slowly. "Does that mean you've decided then?"

"No." Iruka said, closing his eyes. "I just wanted to know."

"Ah." Kakashi said, stroking his hair. "Ok."

…

Iruka stood in front of the mirror, staring dully at himself. He wasn't wearing a school uniform; Kakashi had loaned him some clothes, a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. He looked…weird in them. It'd been awhile since he'd worn anything but his uniform. Kakashi appeared behind him, dressed similarly but with a black scarf tied over his face. "Hey. Ready to go?" he asked, resting his chin on Iruka's shoulder.

"Yeah." Iruka said, sighing. He turned away from the mirror and pushed Kakashi gently, smiling.

Kakashi laughed and grabbed his arm. They left the apartment and strolled to the market, Kakashi slipping his arm around Iruka's waist as they arrived. Iruka silently tucked his hand into Kakashi's back pocket, leaning into him a little.

They attracted quite a lot of attention; Kakashi was well-known in the city, and Iruka blushed at the number of stares and muttered conversations. Kakashi seemed oblivious, cheerfully pointing out stuff to Iruka. Iruka forced himself to relax and started steering Kakashi away from the sweets, firmly making him buy some vegetables to go with all the sugary crap he'd already put in the basket.

Kakashi was fun; Iruka found himself laughing and joking with him, and when Kakashi teasingly nuzzled his neck, Iruka blushed but bit his ear. The shopkeeper who they were in front of laughed at Kakashi's wounded aura and Iruka winked at him before pulling Kakashi further down the road.

The basket was starting to get full. They'd bought enough food to last the rest of the week, and Iruka was thinking about asking Kakashi to head home when he saw Mizuki heading in their direction. Iruka stopped, his body stiffening, and Kakashi followed his eyes. "Calm." Kakashi murmured, pulling him back against his body. "Play the part. This is the important bit."

Iruka nodded and slid his arm around Kakashi again, bending to inspect a pile of tomatoes. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Mizuki see him. Mizuki didn't even seem to notice Kakashi at first; his expression darkened, and anger radiated off him. He stalked towards Iruka, clearly intending to grab him and drag him away. But Kakashi shifted, leaning over to put his head on Iruka's shoulder and make some pithy comment about the tomatoes. Mizuki halted, his expression at first completely shocked, and then darkening with anger. Then paling when he realized exactly who it was nuzzling his Iruka in public.

Iruka turned a bit and shook his head at Kakashi, then selected three tomatoes and Kakashi paid for them, slipping them into the basket. Then Kakashi pulled Iruka along, _right past Mizuki_, and Iruka pretended to not even see him, his eyes fastened on Kakashi. Peeking at him over his shoulder, Iruka saw the tension in Mizuki's shoulders. Then Mizuki spun around and disappeared, and Iruka let out a breath, his body trembling.

"Home." Kakashi said, pulling Iruka to him and heading down the street. They paused on Kakashi's front porch and Kakashi opened the door, ushering Iruka in gently. Taking the basket, Kakashi set it on the counter, then pulled Iruka into the living room and down onto the couch, snuggling him against his body. Iruka sighed and closed his eyes, allowing Kakashi to stroke the tension from his shoulders.

After a time, Iruka opened his eyes and gently patted Kakashi's chest. "Thank you." he said quietly. "We should put the groceries away now."

Kakashi smiled and nodded, brushing his fingers over Iruka's cheek. "Yeah. What shall I make for dinner?"

Iruka stood, stretching, and offered Kakashi a hand up. "Whatever. That fish looked good…maybe that, with some rice and a few of those vegetables…you could make a sauce…"

"Sounds good." Kakashi said, pulling himself up. He hesitated, then tipped Iruka's face up and kissed him very gently on the lips before moving to the kitchen.

Iruka stood silently, his fingers going to his lips. Brushing over them, he stared after Kakashi, a blush rising on his face. So very, unexpectedly…

Sweet.

…

They finished dinner and then curled back up on the couch, watching a movie and nibbling on popcorn that Kakashi made for them. Iruka felt slightly guilty about not doing any homework, but he found his eyes kept wanting to slide shut; he was still very tired from the beating and his desperate dash through the city to find Kakashi. Kakashi, noticing Iruka's fight to keep his eyes open, shut the movie off and carried him into the bedroom, helping him change into some pj's and somehow managing to keep his hands to himself. It was getting harder and harder; Iruka was so very sexy, and having him cuddled into his chest and snuggling with him all the time wasn't helping. Adding to that, Kakashi found himself actually, truly liking the man. He had a wicked sense of humor and a very intelligent mind, and he was a genuinely nice person. Almost…gentle. But not weak; Kakashi didn't think he was weak, even with the situation he was in now. Just…flawed.

He gently arranged them in the bed and felt Iruka sigh, then watched as Iruka slid soundlessly into sleep. Kakashi sighed too; the temptation was almost too strong. Uncurling from Iruka's body, he walked to the window and looked out, leaning on the frame wearily. He'd always prided himself on his control, but he could feel it cracking around the edges.

_It doesn't matter_, he told himself fiercely. _He doesn't need you pawing at him; he needs you to be his friend, and to help him, and you're going to behave if it kills you. _

…

Iruka sat up in bed, feeling the loss of Kakashi's body heat acutely. Flicking his tongue over his lips, he turned and saw Kakashi leaning on the window, staring out over the sleeping city. The moonlight bathed him in silver light and his skin almost glowed. The sight took Iruka's breath away; he'd always known Kakashi was attractive, but right now, he was almost…ethereal.

Iruka rose, padding over to Kakashi silently. Kakashi turned, catching a sound, but Iruka kept him facing the window and pressed against him, resting his head on his shoulder and slipping his arms around him, hands pressed flat against his chest. Kakashi drew in a sharp breath and Iruka smiled, stroking his fingers down his chest gently.

"Iruka…" Kakashi said, his voice tight and a little shaky.. "I…"

"Shh." Iruka said softly, kissing his shoulder. "I know. It's alright…I've made up my mind."

Kakashi turned and Iruka let him, smiling as Kakashi slipped his arms around his waist and bent to press their lips together. It was slow but deep, their tongues twining around each other's, their hands moving slowly over each other's bodies. It was almost dream-like; there was no real urgency, only the now, the touch and the taste, the feelings. Kakashi slowly worked him backwards to the bed, his fingers sliding down his body to hook under his waistband. Iruka arched his back, smiling as Kakashi slowly lowered him to the bed.


	5. Chapter 5

Iruka woke slowly, blinking, and cuddled into the body next to him with a sleepy grin

Iruka woke slowly, blinking, and cuddled into the body next to him with a sleepy grin. He no longer woke disoriented; he was getting used to being in Kakashi's house. Kakashi murmured, still asleep, and pulled him closer, his hand stroking his shoulder. Iruka sighed and kissed his shoulder.

"Morning." Kakashi mumbled, snuggling tighter against him. "'time is it?"

"Don't know." Iruka said, smiling. "But the sun is up. So we should be too."

"Meh." Kakashi grumbled, cracking his blue eye and peering at Iruka. "'s what I get for…." He yawned. "For sleeping with a workaholic."

Iruka laughed and wiggled out of Kakashi's grip, yawning and stretching. "Mmm." He winced as the motion made his bruises ache; Kakashi reached out and stroked his stomach, seeing the momentary pain. "I'm ok." Iruka said, smiling again.

Kakashi laughed and sat up, stretching. "What do you want to do today?" he asked, scratching his face. Iruka sighed and leaned over, kissing him.

"I need to get some work done, Kakashi." Iruka said regretfully. "I'm falling behind in my schoolwork; I can't, or I'll loose my scholarship." He said, rising. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be." Kakashi yawned and slid out of bed, scratching his head. "Look. Let's take a shower, grab some breakfast, and you can get to work. I need to run a few errands. When you're ready to take a break, we can head over and pack up your stuff; you're in the university dorm, right? You can't have that much stuff. Then you can work more while I make dinner."

Iruka blinked; Kakashi had a knack for organizing things. He smiled a little wryly; again, he felt that, if he was more in control of his life, it might be annoying, but it was…nice to have someone doing it for him. "Sounds good." He said, smiling.

Kakashi reached for him and pulled him against his body, kissing him gently. "Good. To the shower!"

…

Iruka sighed and rubbed his head; god, his headache just wouldn't go away. He'd finished two classes worth of work, and was working on the third advanced class now. He had to turn in a twenty page research paper on behavioral inconsistencies in abused children. The topic was an unsettling one, especially with his recent…issues. Kakashi had been gone nearly three hours.

Sighing, Iruka rubbed his neck and bent back to his work. _Studies have shown that children who have been abused…_

…

Mizuki let himself in the front door, his body tense. He'd seen that Hatake bastard leave, and he'd waited long enough for Iruka, hopefully, to be involved in whatever he was doing. He silently closed the door and stepped inside, his lips curving into a smile. So Iruka thought that running to Kakashi was going to save him? Hah…Iruka _belonged_ to Mizuki. And it was time that he came home.

He reached into his jacket and pulled out the bottle he'd brought, then carefully prepared the syringe and filled it, tapping it to clear the air bubbles. Stashing the bottle back into his coat, he slipped through the house, keeping his ears stretched for any hint of noise that would indicate where his little puppy was at. Finally, he found Iruka, conveniently facing away from the door, his nose buried in his books. It didn't take anything at all to slip up behind him and slam the needle home, pushing the plunger in before Iruka had time to react. He grabbed Iruka, adoring the frightened look on Iruka's face, throwing him to the floor and pinning him with his body as he waited for the drug to take effect.

"Hello, my little Iruka." He purred, kissing Iruka's forehead. "Good to see you again."

Iruka struggled trying to free his arms, his back arching in a parody of sexual enjoyment. It was turning Mizuki on badly; he felt his cock hardening and sighed. "You shouldn't do that, puppy. I was going to wait…

He punched Iruka hard in the face, then sat up and started undoing his pants. "But I suppose…to pass the time, since you seem _so_ eager…" he said, grinning. Iruka, dazed from the punch, tried to claw the floor to crawl away, but Mizuki punched him in the stomach, then bent and unfastened Iruka's pants. He tugged them down and climbed off Iruka, flipping him over and positioning the now-unresisting Iruka. Stroking his cock, he slapped Iruka's ass, licking his lips in satisfaction at the broken whimper that escaped Iruka's lips. "So beautiful." He murmured, then positioned himself and forced his cock into Iruka's ass. Iruka cried out, his body spasming, and Mizuki laughed breathlessly. "Ah. This is going to be fast; I can't take the chance of your little Kakashi coming home and finding us. So…" He gripped Iruka's hips and started slamming into him, groaning in pleasure; Iruka's whimpered cries of pain just adding to his delight. He pushed himself hard, fucking Iruka's sweet ass with brutal force, and came quickly, grinding into Iruka. He pulled out, sighing, and rose, walking into the bathroom.

Grabbing some toilet paper, he wiped himself clean and tucked himself away, then returned and gave Iruka a quick cleaning. Rising, he flushed the toilet paper and then dressed Iruka like a doll. Then he pulled him out the door, closing it firmly behind him.

…

Kakashi sighed and let himself in the front door, glancing at the clock. His errands had taken way too long; the coach had wanted to talk about next season's line-up and Kakashi, being the star jock, had been forced to participate. Letting the bags slide to the counter, he walked into the dining room, expecting to see Iruka still hard at work. However, the books were there-but no Iruka. Frowning, Kakashi checked the rest of the house, at first slowly but with mounting apprehension. Returning to the dining room, he stared at the notebook. Iruka had broken off mid-sentence; his pencil was lying on the floor.

_Something's wrong. Something's terribly wrong._

He searched the house again, looking for clues, for anything that might tell him where Iruka had gone-or been taken-but there was nothing. He hesitated, and then ran out of the house. _Mizuki…Mizuki has Iruka…_

…

Kabuto was a fourth year medical student. He wasn't, by nature, a _good_ man, and he'd been involved in his fair share of illegal things. Drugs, whores, beatings…but when he walked into the room where Mizuki was keeping his little pet, even he had to pause.

He'd known Mizuki for a long time, but he'd never met Iruka. He sat his case down and gently turned the tanned man, noting the fading bruises on his neck, now overlaid with new ones. "Strangulation sex?" he asked Mizuki, raising his eyebrows.

Mizuki flushed. "No. He just makes me _so angry_…" Mizuki looked away, drawing his shoulders in tight. "He disobeys me, and he fights back. He doesn't know his place yet. He'll learn…"

_He'd better do it fast_, Kabuto thought. He shooed Mizuki out of the room, ignoring Mizuki's distrustful, suspicious glance, then stripped Iruka down and gave him a thorough look-over. Rape, evidence of hard, brutal sex, old and new bruises, scars that were probably old cuts on his chest and stomach…chafe marks on his wrists and ankles. Mizuki hadn't even bothered to clean him up from their last round of sex; dried cum and blood crusted the inside of Iruka's ass cheeks and his legs. Frowning in disgust, Kabuto walked to the bathroom and got a washcloth, then cleaned Iruka carefully, wincing at the tearing he could see in Iruka's ass.

_He's probably in a lot of pain_. Kabuto opened his case and pulled out his vials of stolen or black-market pain killers, weighing two options in his hands before replacing one. The one he'd chosen would not only block out the pain, but it would make Iruka woozy and detached. Probably a good thing, Kabuto thought with a rare flash of sympathy.

He filled the syringe and tapped it. Before he could administer it, Iruka woke and whimpered softly, his cinnamon-brown eyes full of pain and terror. "Shh." Kabuto said softly, brushing his fingers across Iruka's forehead. "I'm going to give you a painkiller; it'll make you feel better, I promise." He gently pulled Iruka's arm out and tapped the inside arm, looking for a vein.

"Help me." Iruka whispered, a tear streaking his face. "Help me, please…"

"I can't." Kabuto said shortly. "This is all I can do for you."

Iruka continued to stare at him while Kabuto inserted the needle. Kabuto waited a moment, stroking the injection area with his finger, then packed his case up and turned to leave. Just before he left, he heard Iruka whisper something.

Reluctantly, Kabuto returned to his bedside, bending over to put his ear next to Iruka's mouth. "Kakashi…tell…Kakashi." Iruka said, his lips barely moving. "Please…"

Kabuto pulled back, staring down at the tanned man thoughtfully. He turned and walked back into the living room. Mizuki was standing by the kitchen counter, a drink in his hands, jittering and staring at the door. "I cleaned him up, gave him a painkiller. I'll leave it with you, along with some needles." Kabuto said, pulling the bottle and a handful of needles out. "No more than 10ccs every four hours-give him too much, and you'll have a vegetable on your hands." Kabuto said coolly, placing the items on the counter. "It'll not only numb his pain but it'll make him groggy and pliable, so you'll like it. No more after this bottle, though. It's addictive, and hard to get, and getting him hooked would be stupid."

Mizuki set the glass down and moved towards him, a hard light in his eyes. Reaching out, Mizuki brushed his fingers across Kabuto's cheek. "I don't have to tell you not to be spouting off about this, do I?" Mizuki asked softly. "Because I really like you, and I'd hate to have to do something to shut you up…"

"Please." Kabuto brushed Mizuki's fingers away and gave him a blank stare. "As if I give a shit what's going on. You pay me; I gave him drugs. That's all I care about."

Mizuki laughed and pulled Kabuto towards him, an eerily playful look on his face. "Are you sure you just want money?" Mizuki asked, licking his lips. "I could offer you some…service…to go along with that."

Kabuto scowled and broke Mizuki's hold. "No, thank you. I see how you treat your pets…I have no desire to end up my own patient. I've got to go; Dr. Orochimaru will be looking for me."

Mizuki scowled, but then his face cleared and he shrugged, turning away. "I might need you again. I'll call you."

"Just remember the price." Kabuto said coldly, then turned and left.

…

Kabuto sat at the bar, nursing his whiskey and coke, and staring sightlessly at the wall. Visions of Iruka's eyes staring at him were haunting him. He shifted, feeling both annoyed and…guilty.

_Help me, please…_

Kabuto scowled. _I don't get involved. I do what they ask, take their money, and leave. I don't care._

_Kakashi…_

_Shit._ Kabuto tossed back the rest of the drink and stood. He wasn't sure what he was going to do; going straight to Kakashi's would be stupid. And possibly suicidal. Mizuki was fucking crazy, that much was for sure. He frowned, staring at the wall again, and made up his mind.

…

Kakashi had been everywhere looking for Iruka. He'd even found Mizuki's house, but they weren't there. He was going out of his mind. Finally, he'd staggered into the police station and frantically laid the story out for Ibiki. Ibiki had promised him they'd find Iruka, and then sent him home.

He was sitting on the bed, legs curled under him, once again cursing himself. How could he have left Iruka alone for so long? How could he have put Iruka in so much danger? He knew what kind of bastard Mizuki was. It was his fault, all of it. His head sank to his knees and he resisted the urge to bawl. Iruka was in danger, probably being abused, raped…tortured, for all he knew. And it was his fault…

A noise at the window startled him; for a moment, he could only stare. Then he jumped up and flipped the window open. _Iruka…please, please be Iruka…_

But it wasn't. It was a white-haired kid; Kakashi couldn't place him, and he couldn't imagine why he was crawling into his window. The kid gave him an irritated glance when Kakashi made no effort to help him over the ledge; standing, he straightened his shirt, and then sighed.

"You're Kakashi, right?" The kid asked. Kakashi nodded, standing and opening his mouth to demand an explanation, but the boy held his hand up.

"Listen. You don't know me; that's going to stay that way, too. I could be in some serious shit for this, but…Mizuki's keeping Iruka in one of those broken-down apartment complexes along the river. Building A-9, room 24. Don't ask me how I know; don't ask me anything. Just go fucking get him. He's…"

Kakashi moved before he knew what he was going to do; fisting his hand under the kid's chin, he shoved him back, breaking off the boy's words. "How is he? Tell me…what, were you one of Mizuki's little fuck-buddies? Did you touch him? I'll kill you…"

"Knock it off." The kid snapped, wincing. "I never touched him; as if I would. I swear…I didn't do anything but clean him up and give him some drugs. Iruka needs you; Mizuki's getting worse. If you leave him alone there, he's going to fucking kill him."

Kakashi growled into the man's face, then turned, grabbing his shirt. He didn't give a shit about the boy; he'd figure him out later.

He considered going himself, but he knew, he _knew_, that if he caught Mizuki alone, he'd kill him. And Ibiki said he was doing worse things…

…

Ibiki growled at him, but Kakashi stood his ground. "I'll keep to the back. I won't interfere. But I'm going."

"This isn't a fucking game." Ibiki snarled, his eyes hard and flat. "This Mizuki's in deeper than we thought…this could be bad, and…"

"He's got Iruka." Kakashi said flatly. "And I told you where to find him. I could have gone myself; I could have tried on my own. I came to you; I want to be there."

Ibiki stared at Kakashi. Finally, he sighed. "You're right. You did…and you deserve to be there. But you stay back; you don't go unless we tell you it's clear, and I don't care what happens. You wear protection. You obey my commands."

Kakashi impatiently agreed. He shortly found himself being outfitted; bullet-proof vest, visor, the works. He silently climbed into the truck and sat, listening while Ibiki went over the entrance plan. The men in the truck were heavily armed; Kakashi was starting to get seriously worried.

_Iruka, hold on. We're coming…_


	6. Chapter 6

"I don't like this

"I don't like this." The man in the suit snarled, kicking Iruka gently with his toe. Mizuki snarled back, moving to stand between the man and the drugged-out Iruka who was sprawled on the couch.

"Ignore him." The other man said, his voice bored. "It's just another of Mizuki's little toys; obviously, he's drugged out of his mind." The man shifted, his eyes flickering over Iruka. "He's better looking than the last…would you consider selling this one?"

"No." Mizuki said, still glaring at the first man. "This one's special; he's mine."

"Whatever." The third man, who had so far been utterly silent, suddenly spoke up. "We didn't come to discuss your pets. Where' the shipment?"

"In the closet." Mizuki said, moving to unlock the door. Several moments later, he had spread the contents of one of the fourteen boxes on the table. A hundred small packets of glistening white powder; 100 pure cocaine. Of course, by the time these men sold it on the street, it'd have been laced with so much shit it would triple the size of the shipment, but that wasn't Mizuki's problem. He watched silently as goon #2 tested it and kept his jiggling in check. They should trust him by now; he'd never gone funny on a deal. On the other hand, these men wouldn't trust their own mothers…

"It's good." The goon announced unnecessarily, stepping back.

The leader nodded shortly and gestured. Goon #4, who'd been lurking by the door, stepped forward and presented his wrist to the leader, who unlocked a small briefcase from the handcuffs he'd been wearing.

Mizuki smiled. He only dealt in cash; one of his eccentricities that his customers had learned to deal with. Banks were too easy to trace; cash was painless and didn't leave a trail. The leader opened the case and shoved it across the table to Mizuki, who counted it quickly (he didn't trust them any more than they trusted him), then nodded and snapped the case shut.

"The next shipment's going to be delayed; I'll contact you." Mizuki said, standing. "Had to eliminate a couple of runners. Caught them with their fingers in the goods." He smiled thinly.

"Don't let it be delayed too much." The leader said, standing. "We can always find another supplier…"

"Not like me." Mizuki said, his voice flat and confident. "I…"

"POLICE! DROP TO THE FLOOR RIGHT NOW!" The harsh voice screamed. Mizuki dropped, but he was already pulling out the gun from under the couch. He heard someone firing; one of the goons had gotten his gun out fast. Crawling along the floor, Mizuki bumped into Iruka's leg and snarled. Grabbing Iruka, he yanked him down, ignoring the thump as Iruka's shoulder hit the table on the way down. _Have to get the cash_…

He reached up and grabbed the briefcase, then impatiently tugged Iruka's hair. "Crawl, damn it!" He hissed. He had an escape route out the bedroom; he'd known he wouldn't be able to do this forever. He'd planned accordingly. Iruka blinked at him, then started crawling; his drug-fogged mind slow to understand what was going on.

A bullet ricocheted off the table and came damn close to burying itself in Mizuki's head; he cursed, shoving Iruka ahead of him. He heard the shooting starting to die down; this was too damn slow.

Suddenly Iruka cried out; a stray bullet caught him in the back and he collapsed, writhing. Mizuki hesitated a bare moment, then, scowling, crawled away. He'd come back for him…they'd know he was being held against his will, and they'd let him go. And then, one day when Iruka thought he was safe, he'd come back for him…

He got into the bedroom, kicked the escape hatch open, and slid out, confident that he had enough of a head start to make it…

…

Kakashi grimly pushed past the men. He'd heard Iruka; even over the guns and the shouting, he'd recognized that voice. It had taken everything in him to keep his promise. As soon as the all clear rang out, his control snapped and he was shoving past the men, ignoring the bloody, bullet-ridden bodies, searching for a tanned, young man…

He found him on the floor, laying unconscious, bleeding. Gasping, Kakashi fell to his knees, grabbing Iruka. "Wake up! Iruka…please, wake up…"

"Move!" a voice ordered him. Kakashi fought the hands that tried to separate him, but Ibiki grabbed him and Kakashi finally let go, understanding. They lifted Iruka's body and rushed him downstairs. Kakashi crawled into the ambulance with him and watched, glassy-eyed, as they fought to keep Iruka's heart working, his lungs drawing breath. He went into cardiac arrest twice; each time, Kakashi's heart stopped for the same amount of time.

When they finally reached the hospital, Kakashi was left to brood silently in the emergency room as they rushed him into surgery.

…

The news flashed all over the campus. A drug ring; a police bust. A shoot-out. And Umino Iruka…

Dead.

…

Mizuki snarled, standing over the prostrate man. The knife in his hands was bloody; he'd stabbed the other man repeatedly. Kabuto moaned, his hands spasming on the floor.

"Who told him where we were?" Mizuki asked, his voice deadly-silkily. Dangerous.

"N..not me." Kabuto protested, as he'd been doing ever since this started. "N..not me. Y..you know m..me." He turned, staring up at Mizuki with cold, sardonic eyes. "You…know…me. Money…is all…I care…about."

"I don't believe you." he snarled. Kabuto coughed a laugh; he was getting to the end, and he knew it. "You told someone…"

"No." Kabuto hissed, closing his eyes. "Finish it, but you're wrong…"

He remained still for a moment, then opened his eyes. Mizuki was gone. Smiling coldly, Kabuto painfully pushed himself up, dragging himself to the phone. Dialing, he waited for the other person to pick up the phone. "Dr. Orochimaru?" he gasped. "I need you…"

He hung up the phone, knowing that his lover and mentor was on his way over. Letting his eyes slip closed again, he sighed. _I tried. I did what I could. Sorry, Iruka. I guess it wasn't enough…_


	7. Chapter 7

Kakashi looked up when he heard the soft cough; one of the guards on Iruka's door had stepped back outside, his expression car

Kakashi looked up when he heard the soft cough; one of the guards on Iruka's door had stepped back outside, his expression carefully blank. "He's awake and he wants to see you."

Kakashi let out a soft sigh and rose. The last week had been hell; Iruka had been in and out of consciousness, and Ibiki had allowed the news to leak from the hospital that Iruka was dead. He'd remained at the hospital; they'd given him a room and he'd slept there, waiting for Iruka to come back. Too many people knew he and Iruka were hooked up. Too many people would be looking for him, to comfort, to question, to fulfill their own sick and shrill curiosity. It was better for him to stay here.

Kabuto was still loose. They'd lost him. The mere thought of him being out there, patiently waiting until he could get Iruka back, made Kakashi physically ill. He wouldn't let Iruka go again. He would protect him this time.

_I swear…_

Kakashi slid into the room hesitantly, his fingers nervously plucking at his scarf. Iruka was lying in bed, his normally tanned face pale and drawn. His eyes…god, his eyes. They were dull and empty, distant. Not Iruka's eyes. Feeling himself close to crying, Kakashi stumbled the rest of the way across the room and threw his arms around Iruka. He felt Iruka stiffen and hesitated, unsure, but Iruka's arms came up weakly to stop him from moving.

"Kashi…" Iruka whispered, and Kakashi broke, sobbing, climbing into the bed to curl around the younger man. They cried together; Iruka hadn't allowed himself to cry, yet. When it was over, they were both sore and tired, but something had healed in them. Smiling gently, Kakashi kissed Iruka and then cuddled his head into the younger man's chest, enjoying the slow, steady beating of Iruka's heart.

He must have fallen asleep; he was woken, gently, by the doctor, who was giving him a sympathetic smile. "I need to check on Iruka." He said softly.

Kakashi slid off Iruka gently. The tanned boy was asleep; Kakashi resisted the urge to gently brush his hand across Iruka's forehead and slumped into a chair, watching the doctor move slowly around and check some of Iruka's vitals on the machines. Kakashi caught a glimpse of the man's nametag. 'Dr. Orochimaru'.

"Iruka's doing very well." The man said, smiling. Something about his smile was starting to make Kakashi feel uneasy; it was too big, or too slick. He chalked it up to his normal dislike of doctors and tried to concentrate on the man's words. "He's responding well to treatment. He'll probably be ready to leave here in about a week."

Kakashi nodded, clearing his throat. "Thank you." he said hoarsely. The doctor paused, glancing at him, and raised his eyebrows.

"Do you need something? Something to help you sleep, maybe?" The doctor asked, moving to touch Kakashi's shoulder. Kakashi recoiled; he didn't know why, but he didn't want to be touched by the doctor. The man didn't seem to notice his reaction, or if he did, he made no response, simply staring at Kakashi.

Kakashi shook his head. "I'm fine." He said, a little insincerely. He hadn't been sleeping well, but…now that he knew Iruka was going to be alright, he would be fine.

The doctor nodded, and then walked out. Kakashi sighed and climbed back into the bed, carefully curling around Iruka's still-sleeping form. _We'll figure this all out when we have to, Iruka. But I know…I'm not letting him get you again._

…

Orochimaru tapped his finger thoughtfully on his clipboard. _So that's Iruka and Kakashi…_

Kabuto was still at his apartment; Orochimaru had stabilized him and stitched his wounds, then drug the whole story out of his young lover. The parts about his activities hadn't bothered him; he'd taught Kabuto all he needed to know about _that_. But the part about Kabuto getting soft and telling Kakashi where Iruka was _had_ surprised him. He wasn't sure he liked his Kabuto having a soft spot; he'd been sure there had been something going on. He'd been all set to 'accidentally' allow Iruka to die on the operating room table…

_However…_

Now that he'd seen Iruka, and seen the extent of his previous injuries, as well as received the full report from the police, he was starting to understand. Nothing going on, just…_weakness_, and everyone had a little of that in them.

_Kabuto is mine_, Orochimaru thought with a sigh.

So now he had to decide what to do all over again. Talking to the police was out of the question; not only would it put Kabuto in danger, it would put _him_ in danger. And no matter what Iruka had been through, Orochimaru wasn't prepared to do that for anyone. Even Kabuto.

_I can, however, put a trace on Mizuki._ Orochimaru's eyes narrowed and he smiled. His money, combined with his contacts in the underbelly of society, would probably yield more results than the cop's search, even with Morino Ibiki in charge of the investigation.

_And then I can slip them the information, clean and anonymously. It will be amusing to see Mizuki twist. And if they fuck it up, or if it threatens to get messy, then I can have the problem taken care of my way. But I should at least give them one more chance…_

He smiled again and nodded. Problem solved

…

Genma sighed and punched Raidou in the arm. Not for any particular reason, just for the hell of it. Raidou grunted and gave him an irritated glare, then growled under his breath.

Genma laughed. He loved getting Rai all riled up. It usually led to more interesting activities…

There was a knock at the door, and Gen, grumbling, rose to answer it. To his surprise, the man standing on his stoop was none other than Hatake Kakashi. Feeling his eyebrows crawling up into his hairline, Genma silently stepped aside to allow the other man inside.

"Genma…" Kakashi hesitated when he saw Raidou, but sighed. "Look. I know we hardly know each other; we were on the same team, but…"

"Hey." Genma said, frowning. "It's ok. What's wrong?" The fact that _something_ was wrong was clear; Kakashi's body was whip-cord taunt and his voice was brittle. Rai had caught it too, sitting up.

"Is this about…Iruka?" Rai asked suddenly, and Genma mentally kicked himself. _Shit!_ That piece of gossip had been all over the campus; the star athlete and the nerdy frosh. But wasn't Iruka…

Oh. Shit.

"I need a place to crash." Kakashi said tersely. "Me and…fuck." He sighed. "Listen. I need you two to promise me that no matter what, this doesn't go beyond these walls."

"I promise." Genma said instantly, his curiosity peaking. As well as his conscious; Kakashi looked like shit, and although Genma really hardly knew him, he knew that he was a good guy. Just…private.

"Iruka's alive." Kakashi said. Genma gaped, Rai made a low, surprised sound. "He got tangled up in some bad shit, and his ex-boyfriend kidnapped, raped and drugged him. He got shot during the police raid; he's in the hospital. They're going to let him out, but we can't go back to either of our houses. _He_'s still out there; the police missed him, and we think he'll come back for Iruka. It's dangerous, but…I need someplace. Can we crash here, at least for a couple of weeks, while Morino tries to arrange someplace better?"

"Of course you can stay." Raidou said, overriding Gen's indignant "Hell yes!"

Kakashi seemed a bit overwhelmed by their responses; his shoulders tightened. "This could be very dangerous…if Mi…if that bastard figures out where we're hiding…"

"Don't worry about us." Raidou said, standing. He looked suddenly _dangerous_. "My father was a Marine and my mother was a professional bodyguard; I know how to protect myself." Rai said, offering Kakashi a brief, cool smile. "And Gen's a monster in a fight; he's been through quite a bit. We can take care of ourselves."

"When will you be coming?" Genma asked, smiling at his lover. "I'll need to get some more food. You two can borrow clothes from me and Rai." He said firmly. "No sense in advertising that you're around by going home for stuff."

"Day after tomorrow." Kakashi said, his voice slow and hesitant. "I…"

"Don't." Genma sighed. "Shit. This is a horrible situation, and…hell. Kakashi, we're not really friends, but…you need help, and Iruka needs help, and we can provide. Don't thank us; if the situation is ever reversed, just remember this, ok?"

"Ok." Kakashi said, smiling now. "I'll see you in two days."

…

Iruka sat, his legs curled up under him, sipping tea and trying not to look as uncomfortable as he felt. Kakashi was gone; he and Raidou had gone upstairs to get the room ready. Genma was sprawled on the other couch, reading, his hand playing idly though his honey-blonde hair.

Iruka knew that Kakashi knew these people; he'd never met either of them in his life. He was wearing a borrowed pair of loose sweatpants and a t-shirt; he had nothing of his own here. It was disconcerting, to say the least. And the fact that, just by being here, he was putting them all into danger…

"Stop." The voice startled him; he glanced up from his tea to find Genma had turned on his side and was smiling at him. "I can tell you're brooding; it's clear from the way you're sitting. Don't. Just relax. We're fine. No one knows you're here. You're safe, and everything's going to be alright. Just make yourself at home. Rai and I are glad to have you here."

Iruka blushed; he couldn't help it. "But…" he protested softly, his eyes worried and tired.

"I said…don't." Genma slid off the couch. Iruka tried not to flinch as the man came close; he forced himself to hold still as Genma carefully brushed his fingers through Iruka's hair, and then placed a chaste kiss on his forehead. "Don't. We'll take care of you. Just relax."

"Why?" Iruka whispered his voice miserable. "you don't even know me…"

"Mah." Genma said, his voice and face suddenly grim. "Why shouldn't we? Iruka…I don't know the whole story, but what I've heard, and what Kakashi's let slip, makes me aware that you've been through some horrible things. A normal human being, someone who cares about their fellows, would help you. It's a normal reaction; the fact that you're sweet and kind and utterly adorable only helps." Iruka felt his blush deepening and Genma chuckled. "But I didn't mean to embarrass you. It's fine. Just calm down and accept it, ok?"

Iruka nodded and Genma pressed another kiss to his head, then rose. "C'mon. We should check on the boys…not that I distrust my Rai, but your Kakashi is _incredibly_ good-looking; I believe in not dangling too much temptation in front of a person."

Iruka found himself giggling; rising, he sat his cup down and followed Genma up the stairs. Halfway there, they met Raidou, his lips compressed in laughter, heading down quickly. Giving Iruka a _look_, he grabbed Genma and pressed him against the wall.

"Your boyfriend is a pervert, Iruka." Raidou said calmly. "I think you should go punish him."

Iruka blushed hard, but slipped past the couple and headed to the top of the stairs. Kakashi was waiting, laughing, his face for once clear of worry or fear. "What…?" Iruka asked, but was forestalled by Kakashi's grab.

Flipping Iruka around, Kakashi eased them into bed, crawling up Iruka's body. "Raidou is a priss." Kakashi said, his voice filled with laughter. "One little perverted joke and he was running out of here like a blushing virgin…"

"Rai said I should…ah…" Iruka gasped as Kakashi's lips found a sensitive spot on his neck. "Should punish….mmm…punish you." Iruka squeaked.

"Ah." Kakashi grinned, then tilted his head up to give Iruka a wicked grin. "Punish away, oh sensei…."

Iruka froze for a moment, then suddenly smiled. He'd expected this to be…difficult. But Kakashi was not Mizuki, and Kakashi's touches didn't bring the sick, soul-deep loathing that Mizuki's touches had endangered. All he felt was the earnest desire to touch and be touched, to kiss and be kissed…

Grinning, he rolled them, trapping Kakashi beneath his body. "Behave, you bad boy." He growled. Kakashi gave him a startled look that quickly melted into appreciation….

…

The man beneath Kabuto's knife whimpered, but…

_It wasn't the same whimper…_

He growled and swiped the blade again, causing a splash of blood. But…

_It wasn't the same blood…_

He grew tired of playing and finally took the man, but…

_It wasn't the same body…_

_It didn't smelltastesound like him…._

_It wasn't his Iruka…_

When he was done, he finished the boy, then rose, wiping away the blood from his hands. Since he'd lost his Iruka, he'd tried to fill the aching void in his soul with pathetic substitutes. But none of them were Iruka. He was beginning to realize, too late, how much he'd grown accustomed to Iruka's body, his noises, his smell, the looks on his face, the feel of his passage around his cock…

_I want my Iruka back…_

He had no idea where the bastards had taken him. He'd thought, for a time, that he'd lost him entirely, but Ibiki had underestimated his contacts in the police force. So he knew that his Ruka was alive. But he didn't know where he _was_.

Kakashi had evidentially taken him somewhere. They'd disappeared entirely; Iruka had failed all his classes at the academy from lack of participation. No one had seen him forever. Kabuto was still alive; Mizuki had tried to pay him a visit, but he'd been protected, and Mizuki had backed off.

_Bastard…_

He sighed; this wasn't getting him anywhere. And the money was running out; he had expensive tastes, and he needed more money to continue to fill them. Not drugs; he wasn't that stupid. He refused to get hooked on the substance that made him rich. No, he craved expensive foods, wines, whores…

He turned away from the dead boy and got dressed. It was time to come out of hiding.

_I'll find you, Iruka…_


	8. Chapter 8

Orochimaru stared down at the boy who was sitting on his clean floor

Orochimaru stared down at the boy who was sitting on his clean floor. The little street rat was filthy; days of huddling in the trash would do that to a person. However, he was completely dependant on Orochimaru's good will, and thus, a loyal snitch. Right now, he was talking in a low voice about a new player; it didn't take too much intelligence for Orochimaru to connect Mizuki with "Danzou". Mizuki hadn't even bothered to change his appearance much.

_Arrogant little bastard…_ Orochimaru handed over the drugs and the kid disappeared. He had some kind of cancer; without bothering to check, Orochimaru couldn't diagnose it properly. Then again, who gave a shit? The kid wanted painkillers, and as long as he continued to prove useful, painkillers he would get.

Turning away, Oro pondered this new information. He wanted Mizuki bad; Kabuto was recovered, but the thought of loosing the one person who meant more to him than money had frightened Orochimaru. And he hated to be frightened; it had been a long time since he'd felt that way. Mizuki would pay…

_Now, how to get the information to the police without dragging myself into it…_

…

Iruka returned to the hospital in complete secrecy; he had to have a checkup, but they couldn't be sure that the hospital was being watched. So they dressed him up, hid his hair under a hat, and used makeup to make his face appear lighter and to conceal his scar. A pair of thick glasses completed the effect; Rai went with him, posing as his brother. Genma and Kakashi drifted in beforehand, Kakashi pretending to be having severe stomach cramps.

As they sat and waited for Iruka and Raidou to be shown up, someone stepped into the hallway. As the person turned, Kakashi had a sudden flash. Jumping from the bed, he grabbed the other man, hauling him into the room and spinning him around.

"You!" Genma looked surprised, but ready to act, his body tense. The boy froze, his eyes flickering between Genma and Kakashi, clearly considering how to get out of the room.

"You told me where Iruka was." Kakashi snarled. "You knew…how did you know? How were you connected to Mizuki?"

"I wasn't." The boy snarled. Kakashi caught a glimpse of his nametag; Kabuto…

"You're a doctor." Genma said slowly, his eyes thoughtful. "Resident?"

"It's none of _your_ business." Kabuto spat at Genma. Turning to Kakashi, he adjusted his clothing. "Listen. How I _was_ connected to Mizuki isn't your concern; that relationship is long over. I paid for telling you where Iruka was…" he grimly yanked his shirt up, showing a suddenly speechless Kakashi and Genma the seven haphazard, pinky-white scars that were scattered over his chest. "Mizuki paid me a visit after he got away. I don't know where he is, and if I did, I swear I'd tell you. I hate him; I want him dead, probably almost as much as you do."

Kabuto lowered his shirt, looking tired. "As for the rest…just don't. It's not your business, and it's not your problem. Just accept that I did my best in the situation. I'm glad he's not dead; I'm in on that, by the way. Just keep your mouth shut, ok? You don't know me, you've never seen me…"

"That would be for the best." Dr. Orochimaru had come in without them noticing. Genma noticed how Kabuto paled, and the way he looked at the good doctor, and made a few assumptions of his own. _Nasty dealings here…_

"I…" Kakashi hesitated, clearly torn. Kabuto made an impatient noise and moved to stand beside Dr. Orochimaru, who looked amused. Genma reached out and tapped Kakashi's arm.

"It's ok." Genma said, his eyes still fixed on Kabuto and Dr. Orochimaru. "Just let it go, ok?" he asked softly. Kakashi trembled a moment, but nodded, his hands clenching.

"Good." Dr. Orochimaru said. "They're here…come with me. Kabuto, go finish your rounds."

They silently followed the doctor through the hallways to another room. Inside, Iruka was sitting on the bed, his blood being drawn by a gentle-looking man in a dark blue scrub outfit. One of the members of his surgical team; it made sense that they were assisting, as they'd be the people who would know he'd survived. The man flashed Kakashi and Genma a reassuring smile, then finished. "All done. Just relax a bit; I'll run this down to the lab and expedite the tests, and we'll make sure everything's all right."

"Thank you, Migaki." Orochimaru said. Genma didn't miss the flash of dislike on Migaki's face as he passed Orochimaru. The doctor walked over to Iruka and started prodding him, testing response and nerve endings. Genma had to put his hand on Kakashi's shoulder to soothe the older man; whether it was just from Iruka's occasional soft noises of pain or having Orochimaru's hands all over Iruka's body he wasn't sure.

"Well, you seem to be healing very well." Orochimaru said, smiling. "Now. If I could have a private word with Iruka, I would appreciate it."

"No." The word slipped from two sets of vocal cords: Kakashi, predictably, but Raidou as well, which kind of surprised Genma. Orochimaru raised his eyebrows, glancing at Rai and Kakashi.

"This is a confidential matter, boys. He's hardly going to come to damage here in the hospital. I'm sure he'll be fine."

"C'mon you two." Genma said, a little uneasily. He pulled Kakashi out and Rai followed, obviously reluctant.

Out in the hallway, Genma raised his eyebrows at Raidou, who flushed and shrugged. "I don't like him." Raidou said quietly. "Something about him bothers the hell out of me, but I don't know what."

"He's crooked." Kakashi said, his shoulders hunched. "And he's caught up in this somehow…"

"He and that Kabuto are more than doctor and resident." Genma said slowly. "Lovers, I think, or something like it. The way Kabuto acted, it's clear that Orochimaru is in the lead."

"Hmm." Raidou said, sighing. "That might account for it. He's slimy, that one. But…"

"I don't think he's going to hurt Iruka." Genma said slowly. "Judging from Kabuto's injuries…" he filled Rai in quickly about what he'd heard from Kabuto, and Kakashi reluctantly interjected information about that night. "See? He's probably a chop-doc…"

"A what?" Kakashi asked, surprised.

Genma sighed. "Sometimes, you squeaky-clean bastards make me wanna cry. A 'chop-doc' is a cheap, money-buys-everything doctor for those who can't go to a normal doc. Those who just want drugs, those who got injured doing illegal things…"

"Money will buy their services, and it's supposed to buy their silence too." Rai said slowly. "So…if he really did get called in by Iruka's ex-boyfriend abductor, and he broke his silence by telling you where he was being held…"

"Huh." Kakashi said, his shoulders unknotting. "That means…"

"Don't get me wrong." Genma said, his expression twisting in disgust. "Chop-docs are scum; they don't give a shit about their patients, and they don't give a shit about the law. They do anything for money, and they're not about murder to keep their secrets. Just 'cause this Kabuto had a momentary flash of insanity doesn't mean he's anywhere near being a good guy."

"But I don't think we need to worry about Orochimaru, other than the fact that he's generally scum." Rai finished. "He won't be after us; he'll be after Ruka's ex, if he's after anyone. It depends on how dearly he holds his little pet-boy Kabuto."

Kakashi sighed, leaning on the wall. "Ok." He said slowly. "Thanks, guys."

…

Orochimaru smiled at Iruka. "Have you had sex with that dashing silver-haired man since you've gotten out of here?" He asked, moving around to the table. Iruka shivered and gave him a sideways look. Orochimaru sighed; turning towards the window, he narrowed his eyes. "Listen. I know you don't trust me, but…when I'm here, when I'm at work, I'm a real doctor." He said slowly. "That means, I do my job to the fullest. When I'm not here…" he shrugged, turning back to face Iruka. "So I'm not asking out of morbid curiosity, or with any intent on bothering or embarrassing you."

Iruka flushed, then nodded. "Sorry." He muttered. "Yes…"

"Ok." Orochimaru said, smiling again. "Good. Was there any lingering pain or discomfort?"

"No…" Iruka said, looking at the bed. "It was…fine."

"Good." Orochimaru said, sounding satisfied. "That means you healed up nicely; if you start having problems, come and talk to me. Believe me, you don't want to let things like this go. Now, for the next part."

He moved around and grabbed Iruka's jaw, forcing him to look him in the eyes. "Mizuki's at his old tricks again; he's in the dock district. I've sent the info to the police anonymously; god knows if they'll act on it. I think they will. I'm not telling you this out of the goodness of my heart, or any particular sympathy for you. I want him dead; I want him tortured and killed. He hurt something of mine; I want him to _suffer_." Orochimaru hissed. Iruka stared at him with wide eyes. "And part of that suffering should be knowing that what was his is no longer. You stick close to that silver-haired stud of yours; knowing Mizuki, he'll be looking for you." Orochimaru said, his eyes glinting dangerously. "And…"

He suddenly smiled, and Iruka recoiled from that smile. "For this one thing, I will not charge. If you get into trouble and need us, Kabuto and I are at your service. For anything. Because I want him to _suffer_ as he's never suffered before. Which means keeping _you_ out of _his_ hands. Do you understand me?"

Iruka nodded, his eyes rather terrified. The change in the doctor from good-natured to this…this horrible nasty _thing_ startled and confused him. "Good." Orochimaru purred. Then he released Iruka's jaw and stepped back, once again assuming his 'good doctor' pose. "As I said, you start having problems with pain or lingering soreness during or after sex, you come back. There are creams and treatments that can be applied. Your wound is healing; your bruises are almost gone. Any other problems you're having?"

Iruka shook his head and Orochimaru smiled. "Ok, then. We're done. I'll let the boys back in and you can figure out how to get out. Your makeup is smudging…" he wrinkled his nose in distaste and wiped his hand off on the table. "Have a nice day."

…

Iruka was quiet all the way back to the house; the doctor's words rang in his mind. _He's back to his old tricks…selling drugs, or…worse?_

"Iruka?" Genma asked, breaking into his thoughts. He glanced up; Raidou, Genma and Kakashi were watching him with worried eyes. Flushing, he rubbed his scar, then sighed as he smudged the makeup.

"I want a shower." He muttered. Not just for the outside; he felt dirty inside too.

"Ok." Kakashi said, rising. "Let's go take a shower…"

"I.." Iruka started to protest, but sighed and shrugged. It was clear they were being over-protective; something about the visit to the hospital had triggered it. _Probably Dr. Orochimaru…I should tell them…_

"Guys?" Iruka said slowly. They halted, watching him again, and Iruka sighed. Then he haltingly relayed the information he'd been given, not saying who had told him. From the looks on their faces, they already knew anyway.

"Shit." Raidou said, rubbing his face. "Well, at least he forwarded the info to the police."

"I need to talk to Morino." Kakashi said slowly. "Make sure he got it…"

"Ok." Suddenly he grinned. "Me and Rai can help Iruka out with the shower…"

"HEY!" Three voices in unison; Kakashi glared, Iruka blushed, and Rai just sighed. "Pervert." Raidou muttered, ducking his head.

"Rai's blushing!" Kakashi announced.

"AM NOT!" Raidou snarled. Genma dissolved into laughter; Iruka blushed harder, but shook his head.

"Go." Genma said, pushing Kakashi's shoulder. "Go, and we promise to keep our perverted hands off of Iruka until you get back. Probably. Mostly."

"What's this we shit?" Raidou asked, glaring at Genma now. Genma gave Rai a sweetly innocent look. Kakashi sighed and walked around the counter, wrapping his arms around Iruka's body.

"Be careful." Iruka whispered, ignoring Gen and Rai's byplay in the background. "Kakashi…"

"Shh." Kakashi said, smiling. Then he kissed Iruka. Turning, he gave Genma a warning glare. "Raidou, I'm trusting you to keep your eye on both Iruka _and_ your perverted lover; if anything happens to Iruka…"

"Yeah, yeah." Genma said, making shooing motions with his hands. "Go, already."

…

"Yeah, we already know." Ibiki said wearily. "Got a tip; it's true. We've found traces, but…it's like he knows we know, and he's taunting us. He's too deep for me to be able to trace. Been cutting deals right and left to try and get my hands on him, but…"

Kakashi sighed and slumped in his chair. "Shit."

"Yah." Ibiki glanced at him in curiosity. "How did you know?"

"I…" Kakashi wrestled with his conscious a moment, then sighed. "I can't tell you, as much as it fucking pains me."

"Ah." Ibiki scrubbed his face with his hands. "One of _those_ sources. Yeah, I get it." He shook his head, staring at the wall. "It's a pretty fucking bleak day when you have to deal with criminals to catch a criminal…"

"Yeah." Kakashi said, rising. "Well, I'm heading back. Just…try to keep us posted…"

"Wait." A new voice interrupted them; a slender, good-looking girl with black hair and the most vivid green eyes Kakashi had ever seen. She gave Ibiki a quick signal, but Ibiki smiled and shook his head.

"Might as well, Akenai. He's in deep. Kakashi, this is Genko Akenai, my number one assistant and my personal pick to take over my job some day. Field detective, and damn good at her job. Nai, this is Hatake Kakashi; he's Umino's boyfriend, and he's currently hiding him. Where, I don't know." He shrugged. "Which is as it should be."

"Yeah, well." Akenai gave Kakashi a long look, then nodded. "But if you go home from here, everyone who can pay for it will know. You've got a tail, Hatake."

For a moment, Kakashi mentally considered the image. _Not bad…wait. That can't be what she meant._ So he settled for a rather unintelligent "huh?"

"Someone's following you." She said, her patience clearly of the short variety. "Probably in the pay of Mizuki."

"Shit." Kakashi said, his eyes widening. "So he knows?"

"Maybe. Maybe not." Ibiki said soothingly. "It could just be that he wants your ass, Kakashi. Akenai?"

"Yeah, one sec." She studied Kakashi a moment. "Stand up." She commanded. Kakashi, after a glance at Ibiki, did so and she walked around him, obviously taking mental measurements. "Kay. Hold on."

She disappeared. Ibiki sighed. Kakashi, after a moment, sat down. "What's going on?"

"We're going to try and shake your tail." Ibiki said, once again conjuring the most ridiculous mental images in Kakashi's brain. He closed his mouth; he got the gist of it.

Finally, Akenai returned, followed by a man about Kakashi's size and height. She was carrying what looked like a giant bundle of white hair; it was slightly revolting. It became, when she dropped it on the desk, four different white wigs. After studying him moment, she nodded, then handed one to the silent man.

He slipped the wig on. "Take off your coat and scarf." Akenai ordered.

Kakashi sighed and did as directed. He ignored Akenai's flicker of the eye to his scar; the reason he wore his scarf-one of them, anyway-and silently handed them to her. She in turn handed them to the other man. Kakashi was getting the idea, but he frowned. "He doesn't look much like me, really."

"Don't have to." The man spoke up suddenly. "I'll stick my head out the door, make sure I get the tail's attention, then high-tail it out of here, running. I'll duck. It'll be obvious I'm trying to 'loose' the tail; he'll run after me, because he wants his money. At the right time, I'll loose the wig, take off the coat, and emerge as just another person in the crowd. He'll never see it."

"So I can kiss that coat goodbye?" Kakashi asked, feeling a twinge. It _was_ his favorite coat…

"No." The man said, grinning. "I'll save the coat. Might loose the scarf, but…"

"That's fine." Kakashi said, relieved. "Ok. If you say it'll work, I'll believe you."

"No problem." The man said, adjusting everything tightly. "Alright, I'm off. Give me…oh, five minutes, then head home. I'll be heading right out the door then down Ashet, then I'll probably cut across Silverlake and into the Market. Good place to loose a tail, the Market. So if you need to go that way, find a way around."

Kakashi nodded shortly, not indicating whether he did or not. Ibiki looked satisfied, Akenai just shrugged. "Go. Be careful, ok?"

The man flashed them a salute, then was gone. Akenai excused herself and Ibiki started working on some paperwork. Five minutes later, he gestured. "Go home. Be careful. Don't come back here; here's a number to my cell; call me if anything changes. You got a cell number?"

He didn't, but he gave Ibiki Genma's cell. After saying his goodbye, he walked out, ducking the opposite way of where the 'fake' him had said he was going.

…

Mizuki growled and kicked the quivering lump of flesh that was huddled on the floor. "Fucking damn it! He's hard to miss…how could you fucking _loose_ him?"

"Dunno!" the street-rat quavered. "He jus ducked inna the market, and then 'poof', he wuz jus gone!"

"Bastard!" Mizuki snarled. He grabbed the first thing he could find and proceeded to mercilessly beat the man until he stopped moving. Then he kept it up, just to relieve the rest of the frustration he'd felt.

This had been the first time since the start that _any_ of his moles had managed to find _either_ of them, and they'd fucking _lost_ him! He growled in frustration, throwing away the now-bloody lamp. Spinning around, he paced the room, waiting for his underlings to haul the carcass away. Fuck…

_Gottofindhimgottofindhim…_


	9. Chapter 9

"So you can't leave the house anymore

"So you can't leave the house anymore." Genma said with a sigh. "Fuck. Well…at least they knew he was there. You could have led him straight here."

Iruka paled and Kakashi grabbed him, pulling him against his body. "Yeah. It was stupid of me to go." Kakashi sighed, stroking Iruka's hair reassuringly. "But they watched; it was just the one. And I'm not going anywhere now. I've got Morino's cell, and I gave him yours, Genma…" Genma nodded, touching the cell that he always carried. "So that's taken care of."

Raidou sighed. "Well, it's good. Why don't you two go lay down? I've got to run to the store; Gen can stay and keep an eye on things while I'm gone. Any special requests?"

Iruka shook his head, but Kakashi looked up. "Hey. Do you mind grabbing some of that banana juice drink stuff? You know, the stuff in the funny tall glass jar? I've been craving it for a while now…had thought about stopping on my way back from the police station, but…" he shrugged. Raidou laughed.

"No problem." Raid said, standing. "Get some rest. You two look worn out."

…

Iruka woke slowly. Kakashi was asleep next to him; the man's face was pale and drawn. Iruka felt a stab of sorrow and guilt. This was all his fault; if it wasn't for him…

He slid out of the bed, then walked quietly downstairs. Genma was in the kitchen, humming as he stirred something on the stove. Hearing Iruka on the stairs, he looked up, smiling.

"Hey Ruka." Genma said, smiling. "Can't sleep?"

Iruka shook his head wordlessly, drifting the rest of the way down. He sat down, folding his arms on the counter, and watched Genma for a moment. Genma glanced up at him, smiling, his eyes inquisitive.

"Genma…" Iruka said softly. "I…I'm so sorry." He burst out, tears springing to his eyes. "All of this…it's my fault, and…you got caught up in it, and…"

"Hey." Genma said, dropping the spoon. Sliding the pan off the heat, he dusted his hands on his pants before moving around to wrap his arms around Iruka's shoulders. "Calm down. I told you when you first got here…it's fine. It was our choice; we knew what we were getting into. It's fine."

Iruka huddled into Genma's body, trembling. Genma made soothing noises, gently smoothing his hand over Iruka's back. Finally, Iruka managed to catch his breath and tipped his head back, but he couldn't look Genma in the eyes. "Genma? If…I mean…if ...y…your and Raidou w..want, I…I mean, I could…I think K..Kakashi would und…understand. I owe you s..so much, a…and…"

"Hey. Whoa." Genma said, sounding both surprised and hurt. "Stop. First of all, I _don't_ think Kakashi would understand. Second…"

He grabbed Iruka's chin and tilted it back further so he could study Iruka's face a moment. Iruka flushed, avoiding his eyes, his whole body downcast and meek. Genma sighed; then hugged Iruka again. "You poor baby." He said softly. "Ruka-love…" he was silent a moment, then sighed. "You don't have to do that, Ruka-baby." He said into Iruka's hair. "You're so sweet…you poor thing. It's ok. I don't expect it of you in a million years, and Raidou would actually be shocked to hear you. I joke; I tease. It's my way. But you don't ever…and I mean _ever_…think that I'm serious. First of all, I love my Raidou very much. Second of all, you're better than that, Iruka. You don't have to offer yourself like that. You deserve better, and Kakashi's willing to be what you need. You're a special person. I can tell. Shit, if Kakashi _and_ Raidou weren't in the picture, it'd probably be me in Kakashi's place…but it's not. And this ex of yours is a real bastard. You were always better than that, he just got you confused, ok?"

Iruka shuddered, closing his eyes. Genma sighed and tipped Iruka's head back. Placing a gentle, almost brotherly kiss on his lips, he smiled. "Now. Enough of this weepy bullshit. You want some cocoa? I made it special…handmade, with real chocolate…Rai loves it. I made enough to go around. Oh..and I have that whipped cream stuff that comes in a can. It's soooo good on top…"

…

On the stairs, Kakashi smiled and went back upstairs. He was tired; he needed to sleep. And he was content, now, to let Genma watch Iruka. He'd proven himself; Kakashi had been pretty sure, but…

_I can't take chances with Iruka. Genma's a good guy; a better friend than I deserve. But he's exactly what Iruka deserves. And he'll watch him for me…_

…

Raidou came home to find Iruka and Genma cuddled up on the couch. Iruka was asleep, his head resting on Genma's shoulder. Genma gave Rai a sleepy smile and held out his arms. Smiling, Rai came over and carefully hugged him, trying not to dislodge the kid. "How is he?"

"Better." Genma sighed. "The expected happened this afternoon."

"Mmm." Raidou sighed. He'd discussed the possibility with Genma; he knew these abuse cases better than Gen did, and he knew what kind of mentality came from them. _Poor kid_. But it was ok; they'd get him through it. And the fact that Kakashi was attached in every way was encouraging; Kakashi was just what Iruka needed. A strong and steady partner, but one who wouldn't be alarmed or upset when Iruka started branching out and making his own decisions. And one that wouldn't be worried if he found Genma and Iruka in the position they were in now…

"Well, are you ready for bed?" Rai asked softly. Gen shrugged. "Yeah. But I can't move…" he gave his lover a plaintive look and Rai laughed shortly, bending to carefully lift Iruka off of Gen. Iruka made a sleepy noise and cuddled into Rai's chest, making Rai chuckle. "Cute, isn't he?"

"Very." Genma said, yawning. "Too damn cute. Take him upstairs; I'll put the stuff away and join you shortly."

"Ok." Rai said, smiling down at Iruka. "See you shortly."

He carried him carefully upstairs, pushing open Kakashi and Iruka's bedroom door. Kakashi was sprawled on the bed, looking rather dangerously sexy in the moonlight. He woke up when Rai opened the door, sitting up. Which only emphasized his attractiveness; he wasn't wearing a stitch of clothing, and that sheet was dangerously low…

"Brought you a present." Rai said softly, trying _not_ to stare. "All wrapped up in a bow…"

Kakashi laughed. Rai gently lowered Iruka to the bed and stood, wincing. "Fuck, back hurts. You guys have a good night; I'll see you in the morning."

"Thanks." Kakashi said, sleepily arranging himself around Iruka (and fuck if the sheet didn't slip, giving Rai an entirely too delicious view of Kakashi's smooth and muscular ass). "Sleep good."

Rai beat a hasty retreat; fucker. He probably knew what he was doing. Perverted bastard. Rai stripped down and waited rather impatiently for his lover to come upstairs…

…

"They're not doing very well."

Kabuto glanced up from his case; Orochimaru was sitting at the window seat, his gaze fastened on the swirl of the cars below. Kabuto sighed; he could tell, from the way that Orochimaru was frowning, that it had been a bad day at the hospital. And this other thing was bothering him badly.

Kabuto was both shocked and flattered that Orochimaru had taken this so seriously. He'd never been sure; he knew what he was to the doctor. A tool, a toy…a student, true, but mostly a game. But since his attack, Orochimaru had been almost gentle with him. He didn't fool himself; it wasn't love, but ownership. Still…

Setting down his tools, he rose gracefully and padded over to Orochimaru's chair. Slipping down, he sat on the ground, leaning his weight into Orochimaru's leg. After a moment, Kabuto felt the doctor's hand move to absently stroke through his hair and he closed his eyes, nearly purring in contentment. He didn't need love; this was good enough for him. More than enough. To be wanted; to be desired and admired. He smiled and snuggled closer, then said very quietly, "Who isn't doing well, sir?"

"The police." Orochimaru said, still staring out at the street. "They know _generally_ where he is, thanks to me, but they can't get him to come out. He's too deep; I could help, but it would involve me exposing myself, which I will not do."

They sat in silence for a time. Finally, Kabuto's eyes snapped open. "Sir…what's the one thing that Mizuki really wants?"

"Besides money?" Orochimaru said, his voice ironic. "Iruka…ah."

Kabuto smiled, allowing the older man to work it through. "I see. It would involve a great deal of risk to the young man. And we'd have to do it ourselves; I doubt that either the police or that oh-so-charming young protector Iruka has attracted would allow him to do it willingly. I'm not sure if Iruka himself would do it willingly. But if we let the information slip…loudly…"

"Then he'd come up after Iruka. And they could snatch him…" Kabuto said, closing his eyes and arching into Orochimaru's touch. "Then we all win…"

"It could go bad." Orochimaru said meditatively. "Iruka could get hurt, or killed…"

"So?" Kabuto sighed. "I want Mizuki…"

"Mmm." Orochimaru said, sounding pleased. "Good boy." His touches turned from absent to deliberately sensual and Kabuto made a low noise, already half-way roused. "My good little pet." Orochimaru said, his voice caressing.

"My master." Kabuto said, turning and rising to meet his master's lips.

…

"Oh…god. Yes. There…ah…that feels so…so good." Kakashi moaned. "More…stop and I'll kill you, I swear…Ohh good…."

"Oh, my god." Raidou said, his cheeks flaming red. "I can't believe…how can me make _that_ dirty?"

"He's a pervert." Iruka said, his own cheeks red.

"He's just enjoying it a lot." Genma said, grinning evilly.

"Fuuuuck…Gen…ahhh, god….mmm….."

"I think I need one of those." Iruka said slowly, his eyes fixed on the floor. "If he keeps moaning like that, I..uh…" he blushed, but gritted his teeth. "I might need some time alone in the bathroom…"

"Hah!" Genma barked a laugh. "Look who's turning perverted on us now!"

"Mmm…Ruka, never alone…ah, god, yeah. I'd be more than happy to help you ouoooouuut." Kakashi moaned.

"Fuck you." Raidou said, sounding a little strained. "I'll help him out. You two continue your…uh…massage."

"Touch him and I'll kill you dead." "Genma said, his eyes laughing. "Besides, you're just jealous. You thought I could only make _you _moan like this."

"I never thought I'd see the day a simple massage managed to turn on not just the massage, but the massager and those forced to listen." Raidou said, sighing. "God, Kakashi. Can't you do _anything_ without being perverted?"

"I'm just…oh, god, right there…enjoying myself." Kakashi said, looking wounded. "Oh…mm..fuck…Genma…"

"Shit." Iruka said, standing. "Uhm…I need to…ah…" he blushed, then fled the room. Kakashi snickered.

"Let me up. I have to go take care of my boyfriend." Kakashi said, his voice wicked. "Thanks, Genma. That felt good. I'll leave the money on the dresser?"

"Bastard!" Genma mock-snarled. "Go fuck your boyfriend before he takes care of it himself and I laugh myself sick at your moping around for the rest of the day."

"Meh." Kakashi said, but he did hurry out of the room. Raidou chuckled and was abruptly smothered by grabbing hands. "Whoa…"

"Guess who _else _got turned on?" Genma purred. "Oh, my. Look what I found…"

"Bastard." Raidou said without heat.

…

Orochimaru did his job well. He knew how to pull it off without alerting anyone that he'd had a hand in it. A whispered conversation here, a gentle nudge there. Pretty soon, the information was sliding its way through the slimy growth at the bottom of society; by the time it reached both the ears of the police watchers and the avid ears of Mizuki, his name was long gone. All that remained was the message.

…

The cell was ringing; Genma blinked blearily at it, too sated and drowsy for the moment to bother to see who it was. He felt Rai stirring and sighed; damn that thing anyway. Something tugged at his mind, but he shoved it away, burrowing his nose in his lover's chest. _I'll check it when I wake up. If it's that important, they'll call again…_

They did, but Genma was gone to the world and it never registered.

…

Ibiki snarled at the phone. "Pick UP, dammit!"

Akenai, her green eyes worried, was hurriedly flipping through phone records. "Got to be in here somewhere…shit. If we have access to this, so will everyone fucking else." She grabbed one of the papers. "Fuck! Got it!"

Ibiki snatched the paper and scanned the address. "Let's fucking _go!_"


	10. Chapter 10

Genma shifted; something didn't feel right

Genma shifted; something didn't feel right. Suddenly he jerked awake. Just in time; the bullet that was meant for his head slammed into his shoulder instead, making him scream in pain. Raidou, no matter how asleep he was, was instantly awake at that sound; he instinctively threw himself at the attacker, deflecting the shot that would have finished his lover off. He grappled with the shadowy shape, his muscles straining. Finally he managed to get the gun away and flipped it around, sending the butt crashing into the man's head.

"Fuck!" Raidou spun around and grabbed Gen, cradling him to his chest. "Gen…"

"Ruka…" Gen hissed, gripping his shoulder. Rai could see the blood sliding down his arm. "Go…Ruka…"

"Gen…"

"'M fine. Go!" Gen growled. Rai hesitated, then nodded. He flipped the gun again, pressing it into Gen's hands, then dragged Gen into a defensible position between the bed and the closet. Then he slipped from the room, senses alert.

He caught another on the stairs; coming up behind him, Rai grabbed him and pulled him backward, twisting his neck as he did so. Ignoring the thump of the body hitting the stairs, he rushed up, his fear growing.

He burst into Kakashi and Iruka's bedroom. Instantly, the smell of blood made him stagger; it was painted on the fucking walls. He saw Kakashi's hand thrown over the bed and hurried over, trembling, afraid of what he'd see.

To his shock, he saw not only Kakashi, but Iruka. Iruka was crouched over Kakashi's unconscious body, a knife in his hands, a feral, wild look in his eyes. Two men were on the floor, bleeding and probably dead or dying.

"Iruka?" Raidou said softly, not moving. Iruka panted, staring at him without recognition for a long, frozen moment. Then, slowly, Raidou saw the light coming back into his eyes.

"Rai?" He asked shakily.

"I.." Suddenly Raidou grunted and jerked. Looking very, very surprised, he toppled forward onto the bodies.

"Hello, Iruka." Mizuki purred.

…

Ibiki slammed on the breaks, sending his car sliding into the curb. Not caring, he leapt from the car, already pulling his gun. Akenai was a moment behind him; behind _them_, the other squad cars were already pulling in. He kicked the front door down, rushing into the house.

He headed straight upstairs; this time of night, they'd be asleep…

The first room was empty. He ducked into the second and froze…

_Shit. Shitshitshitshit…_"Nai! Get an ambulance! There's two in here…bad…" he barked. He checked the rest of the bodies; all dead. Kakashi and Raidou; he'd been staring at their pictures while they attempted to find their address. "There should be another one…find him!" Iruka was gone; when he'd seen the state of both Raidou and Kakashi, he'd expected it.

"Found him! Hurt but alive!" Someone yelled from the other room.

"Akenai!" Ibiki barked. "We _have_ to find him. Fast. He's not going to survive the night if we don't."

_Hold on, Iruka. Hold on. We're coming. We'll find you…_

…

Iruka blinked hazily. He was tied by the wrists to the ceiling; his shoulders and back ached horribly. His ribs were aching too; Mizuki had beaten him bad after he'd first hung him. His face was swollen; he couldn't open one eye. And he was having trouble breathing.

But he didn't care. All he could see was Rai's surprised face. And Kakashi's blood…

"Stupid asshole bastard!" Mizuki was cursing. HE was pacing, the knife in his hands gleaming dully in the light. "You little shit _whore_! You were fucking him, weren't you?" He spun around, slicing the tip of the knife through Iruka's chest. Iruka cried out weakly. "You were _fucking _him! Were you doing the other two as well?" Mizuki viciously stabbed the point into Iruka's arm, twisting it. Iruka cried out again, stronger, his body writhing in pain. "You ungrateful little _bitch_. I gave you _everything_. I took _care_ of you. And _this_ is how you repay me?"

Suddenly he stepped away, smiling coldly. "Well, you little bitch, we're going to play some games. And by the end, you'll _know _who you _belong_ to. And you'll be _begging _me to forgive you…"

Iruka sobbed, helplessly. They were dead. It was his fault. And no one was going to save him…

…

"Kabuto."

Orochimaru's voice snapped across the room. Kabuto froze, his face turning to his lover.

"They fucked it up." Orochimaru said, his hands clenching. "That bastard got his pet back and slipped their leash. Call the Brothers; I want this taken care of."

"Yes, sir." Kabuto said, smiling. _At last…_

…

Izumo glanced at his partner Kotetsu, his eyes narrowing as they kitted up. They were _called_ the brothers, although there was no blood between them. _And if real brothers did what we did, they'd be locked up_, Izumo thought with a flash of grim humor.

He snapped on the armguard, then turned to Kotetsu. "What do you think?"

"Piece of cake." Kotetsu said flatly. "But I don't like his orders regarding the kid…"

"Sounds to me like he's been through enough." Izumo said meditatively. "I wonder how pissed he'd get if we disobeyed him a little…"

"He'll have to deal." Kotetsu said, his black eyes glinting dangerously. "If he wants the Brothers to do his dirty work ever again. We're flush; we can turn down contracts if we feel like it."

Izumo smiled at Kotetsu. "Love you, bro." he said, slightly mockingly. "Let's go skin us a bastard."

…

Iruka hung limply from the chains, too exhausted and weak to do more than whimper as Mizuki stroked his body, his fingers digging into the various cuts he'd inflicted on Iruka in the last three hours. Occasionally, Mizuki would bring his fingers to his mouth and lick the blood away, moaning softly. Iruka realized, dimly, that Mizuki was stroking himself as he further mutilated Iruka's body; it didn't matter. Nothing mattered anymore. He could feel himself growing dimmer and fainter. Pretty soon, he'd be free. _Please…I'm sorry. Kakashi, Raidou…Genma…I'm so sorry…please. Be waiting for me. Let me see them one last time…I don't care what happens to me after that, but let me see them…let me tell them I'm sorry…_

…

Ibiki stared at the stream of information. He watched Akenai frantically flipping through reports. The rest of the office was a rumbling hive of activity. And the results had been…

Nothing.

He was getting frustrated; frustrated and close to panic. Closer than he'd ever been. Iruka was going to die; he could feel it in his bones. They were running out of time. And they had…nothing.


	11. Chapter 11

Mizuki injected the syringe into Iruka's arms

Mizuki injected the syringe into Iruka's arms. He waited patiently until Iruka moaned, shoved back to awareness by the drug in his system. Dangerous, but effective; Mizuki wanted Iruka to be awake, to feel every moment of his punishment. He was hard again, and he was tired of stroking himself. It was time to take it to the next level…

"Pretty little bitch." He crooned as he lifted Iruka's legs and thrust into his body. Iruka screamed brokenly, the drug amplifying the pain. Mizuki laughed and laughed and continued thrusting, relishing every tear that slipped down Iruka's contorted face.

…

Kakashi thrashed; he was only half-aware, heavily sedated and half-dead with blood loss, but he knew. _Have to save him. Have to find Ruka. Have to save him…_

"Hold him down!" A voice snapped. He _knew_ that voice. He didn't _like _that voice.

Someone grabbed his head and hissed into his ear. "Fucking calm down. I sent some professionals in; if he's still alive, they'll get him out."

Kakashi turned to face the voice. "Dnt trusht youu." He slurred.

"You don't have a choice." The Doctor said, stepping back. "Sedate him more."

Kakashi stared at the blurred, smiling face of the doctor as he lost consciousness.

…

"Where's Raidou? Iruka? Kakashi!"

Genma growled as the orderlies held him down, forcing an IV into his arm. "Idiot!" the white-haired man hissed. "They're here…calm down. Everything's fine."

"Liar…" Genma hissed back. Kabuto snarled at him, then shoved him hard. One of the nurses looked concerned; Kabuto snapped at her and she turned, her lips pressed together. "Get it through your thick skull. They're fine. Now fucking calm down before I hit you over the head and knock you out."

"Wanna see…" Genma mumbled. _Fuck! What was in that IV?_

"You will…soon." Kabuto said, looking satisfied. "Sleep, damn it."

…

Izumo shoved the door open, then gestured for Kotetsu to go. They were heading for Mizuki's last-known location; the idiot probably thought he was safe. They were betting on it. They were almost there.

Picking his way carefully over a pile of rubbish, Kotetsu paused to study the last door. He gestured for Izu to approach, then put his mouth-guard against Izu's helmet. "Locked. Have to burst in; ready?"

"Yeah." Izumo said, checking his gun again. "Let's do this."

…

Mizuki was laying next to Iruka's prone body, smoking a cigarette and talking to Iruka. "…never wanted it to be like this, you know. I love you. I really do. But you're so fucking _stupid_. I just wanted to take care of you, but you wouldn't let me. You wouldn't be a good boy and just fucking _relax_. So now it's down to this; I doubt you'll survive the night. But at least you know now, don't you?" He smiled and flicked his ashes onto Iruka's chest. Iruka was still breathing; shallowly, and he was staring blankly at the wall, but he was breathing. For now. "I suppose I'll feel bad about it later. I know I'll miss you…why couldn't you just behave?"

He finished his cig, then ground it out on Iruka's chest. Iruka didn't make a sound. Shifting, Mizuki parted Iruka's legs again. "I think another go round. Maybe two, and it'll be done. I'm sorry, baby." He said, sounding sincere. "This is too bad…"

He thrust into Iruka, moaning. Iruka didn't respond.

Suddenly the door flew open. Surprised, Mizuki spun around, but he wasn't fast enough. A metal-gauntleted fist caught him upside the head and he flew away from Iruka, slamming into the wall. Another punch knocked him out; he slid down the wall, leaving a trail of blood.

"Fuck!" Izumo said, his voice tight. "Ko, we've got to get him the hell out of here if we're going to save him…he's fucking gone."

Kotetsu turned. Then he wished he hadn't. He'd been a professional merc for the last ten years; he'd started young, trained by his father. He'd seen some pretty nasty shit, killed a lot of people, but the sight of the broken, mutilated, pathetic boy stretched out on the floor was almost enough to make him throw up. His lips compressed, he turned back to the bastard that had done it, lifting his body with his hand. "Let's do this." He said flatly.

…

_Three weeks later_

Ibiki looked up when the door opened; Dr. Migaki stepped through, looking tired. The hospital was still in an uproar; not three days after Iruka had been mysteriously saved (and the dead, mangled body of Mizuki had been unceremoniously dropped off in front of the police station), charges had been suddenly brought up against Dr. Orochimaru by several of his fellow doctors. Serious charges; he'd been doing some heavy-duty shit for the last ten years, it seemed. His lover Kabuto was deep in it as well. The pair had disappeared; Ibiki hadn't bothered to look for him. It was a job for the FBI now. He had a sneaking suspicion he _knew_ who had hired the professionals that had saved Iruka, and for that…

_For that, I'm willing to give them a head-start._

"They're ready to see you now." Migaki said, smiling. "Thanks for waiting; we needed to get those final tests done."

"No problem." Ibiki said, rising. Akenai was already up, nearly wiggling. She had gotten to know them all pretty well in the last three weeks and she was excited to see Iruka ready to be released from the hospital finally. She'd threatened to throw a party; Iruka had begged her to reconsider. Ibiki rather thought she was still planning it, just…more quietly. She was pretty stubborn.

All in all, they'd gotten off lightly. Genma had been the easiest; a simple gunshot to the shoulder. Raidou had been darted; a fast-acting sedative. Kakashi was badly beaten and had lost a great deal of blood. And Iruka…

Ibiki's smile faded into a grimace. Iruka had been…well, it was almost a miracle he'd survived.

They opened the door. The room was huge and cheerful; sunlight streamed through the large windows. There were two beds. Genma and Raidou, both discharged already, were curled up on a chair, beaming at the two who were curled up on one of the beds.

They were greeted enthusiastically; Genma jumped up and kissed Akenai on the cheek, then grabbed Ibiki and treated him to the same. Raidou was more restrained; he hugged Akenai and shook Ibiki's hand. Kakashi held out his arms and got a hug from Akenai; Ibiki smiled and thumped his shoulder. Then they all turned their eyes to Iruka.

Iruka still looked like shit; even three weeks later, the markings were still clear, but he was smiling; the ghosts were dissipating. It helped that Mizuki was clearly, unmistakably dead. He was allowing Kakashi to hold him again; at first, he couldn't be touched at all. Ibiki, studying him, thought that he might just pull out all right.

"Hey." Iruka said softly. Akenai hugged him, and Iruka returned the hug. Then, turning, Iruka looked at Ibiki. And Ibiki sighed, thought _what the hell_, and hugged him too. Iruka smiled and returned the hug, patting the big man's back.

Akenai perched on the edge of the bed; Ibiki took the last chair. And in the circle of friendship and sunlight, they started the healing process. It was going to take time. But they could do it.

They had each other.

…

"Who's this one from?" Akenai asked. She was inspecting the flowers. "And this one?"

One of the flowers in question was a large bouquet; the other was smaller. One of them was signed, one was not. Ibiki frowned, taking the signed card away. "Well. Holy shit."

"What?" Genma asked, his eyebrows going up.

"It's signed 'The Brothers.'"

"No fucking way." Akenai said, her eyes widening. "You're kidding. _That's_ who got Iruka out?"

After they'd explained it to the curious listeners, there was a moment's pause. Then, very slowly, Kakashi sighed. "I bet I know who the other's from."

"Orochimaru." Iruka said, laughing suddenly. "Bastard."

"Hope they get away." Raidou said suddenly. "Whatever they did, as far as I'm concerned, they deserve a bit of a break for this."

Ibiki sighed. _Me too_. But he couldn't say that out loud. Instead, he shook his head. "Have you ever considered a career in the police force?" he asked.

…

END


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